


Echoes of You

by PinboardButterfly



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst, Biting, Bruises, Canon Timeline (expanded), Canon Universe, Character Development, Character Study, Drunk Sex, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Attraction, One Night Stand, Pining, Romance, Sex, Shower Sex, Slow Burn, extra scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:54:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 90,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25340452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinboardButterfly/pseuds/PinboardButterfly
Summary: A one-night stand the night before the Nibelheim mission leaves Reno with unresolved feelings towards the Trooper he slept with.(An alternate take on canon events where Cloud and Reno met (amongst other things) when Cloud was still a Trooper, and the knock-on effect that meeting had on canon events.)
Relationships: (implied) Rufus Shinra/Tseng, Reno/Cloud Strife, Reno/Ruluf, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Comments: 163
Kudos: 318





	1. Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> The purpose of this fic was meant to try and justify a relationship between Cloud and Reno whilst still (mostly) conforming to the canon FFVII timeline, with minor canon divergent scenes and relationships throughout. It also focuses on Reno's character development in between canon scenes. The story begins during Crisis Core, utilises characters from Before Crisis, and takes place throughout the original game (with large portions of dialogue and scenes lifted from the remake). I also want to make it clear that I do not condone underage relationships. For the purpose of this fic, Cloud is 2 years older than he is in the canon FFVII timeline, and Reno is 2 years younger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I've been watching you for some time, can't stop staring at those oceans eyes,  
> Burning cities and napalm skies, fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes."  
> \- Ocean Eyes, Billie Eilish

A faint buzzing sound woke Reno. Repetitive, irritating – a mosquito inches from his ear.

“Ughmph,” he groaned, and rolled over.

His head thumped and his stomach lurched. Sunlight streamed in through threadbare curtains, illuminating the discarded clothes on the floor. He managed to pick out his own suit amongst the pile, and then a white crop that most definitely wasn’t his, some blue jeans, an oversized tee, a… bandana? Oh no. Reno glanced over at the sleeping figure that currently shared the bed he lay in. Blond hair and toned shoulders poked out from a loose white sheet.

_Strife, right?_

_And you’re… you’re Reno._

Last night’s memories slammed back into Reno with all the force of a runaway freight train. He remembered drinking on the balcony in the rain. He remembered the feeling of hot steam on cold skin. He remembered the crackle of blue electricity and bullets in the dark. Something squirmed in his stomach, unfamiliar and strange.

What struck him most was the entirely terrifying want to reach out and run his fingers through that pale gold hair, down the curves of those lean shoulders. More than a want. Reno’s hand was halfway outstretched before he curled his fingers back into his palm.

The hell was he thinking? Reno felt a flush rise to his cheeks. No, he had to leave – as quickly and as _quietly_ as he could. It was one thing to stay, but _admitting_ you did? Even worse.

As Reno scanned the apartment again – worn floors, bottles of unopened beer under the side table, house plants and posters attempting to make a rental feel more like home – the buzzing filtered back into his consciousness and Cloud’s sleeping body gave a twitch. Reno rolled over as softly as he could and flopped a hand across the floorboards under the bed until his fingers closed around the source of the buzzing. Lifting his phone, he stared blearily at the screen: **RUDE**. He sighed and answered, fingers of his free hand going to massage his throbbing temples.

“Yo.”

 _“Reno?”_ Rude sounded concerned. _“Where are you?”_

“Uh…” Reno glanced at Cloud, thankfully still fast asleep. “Does it matter?”

_“We lost contact with you on Fair’s progress around midnight last night. Been trying to reach you for hours. What happened?”_

Reno’s memory was agonizingly uncensored despite his intermittent vision and aching bones, no doubt thanks to those empty beer bottles still out on the balcony. There was a slight panic rising in his chest, one which he was struggling to keep under control. He remembered vividly the sting of alcohol down his throat, the rumble of an engine between his thighs, the feel of cold rain on his skin. Usually Reno shared everything with Rude. They were partners, after all, and had worked together for years. But this was different. An honest answer was on the tip of Reno’s tongue but he faltered at the last minute, reminded of the last time he’d confided in a Turk about a previous night’s misadventures.

He had to get out of here.

“Look, Rude – I’m not gonna lie to you, I feel like I’ve been kicked in the head by a chocobo. Maybe twelve. Just tell Veld I’m on my way back to HQ, would ya?”

Reno slipped out of bed as he spoke and scrabbled to collect his clothes from the floor, the phone hooked between his shoulder and ear.

Rude’s tone settled into something like exasperation, now that he’d ascertained that Reno wasn’t hurt. _“Tell him yourself.”_

“Rude, you son of a –” Reno abruptly fell silent when the body in the bed behind him gave a shallow sigh and shifted position. He gritted his teeth and continued, quieter this time: “Now’s _not_ a good time to be a jackass, alright? I’ll get there when I get there.”

Rude mulled this over. _“Don’t keep Veld waiting,”_ he said at last, and hung up.

Reno cursed under his breath and got to his feet, tiptoeing about the apartment and collecting his things. Shirt, trousers, nightstick. Jacket? He scoured the floor and spotted it partially under the bed. Shirt half-on, Reno ducked forwards and reached for it, meeting a set of brilliant blue eyes as he came up holding the jacket in his hand.

“Shit,” he said, and fell backwards onto the floor.

“Sorry!” It took Cloud an equally hungover moment to take in Reno’s appearance, and then it dawned on him. “You’re… leaving.”

Guilt stirred in the pit of Reno’s stomach and he shook it off, getting awkwardly to his feet and pulling on the jacket. He didn’t do morning-afters. He didn’t usually stay.

“Uh, yeah. Look. I’m gonna level with you, man: I don’t usually fuck below 1st Class.”

“So you’ve said.” Cloud wasn’t buying it. “You got somewhere you need to be?”

Reno snorted. “No shit.”

“Can’t even tempt you with some breakfast?”

“Nope.”

Cloud held his gaze steadily, but the hand that twisted tighter into the bedsheet gave him away.

“Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes,” Reno sighed after a beat. “Won’t work on the Turks. Haven’t you heard? We’ve got hearts of stone.”

“Funny. Seemed to work pretty well on you last night.”

Reno raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, well, you’ve got guts, I’ll give ya that. Not every night I drink with Troopers.”

“Or fuck them, either.” There was a glimmer of something roguish in Cloud’s eye. “A night for firsts, then. You could make a habit of it.”

The witty retort stuck in Reno’s throat as he was struck suddenly by the memory of Cloud’s face in the low light of the apartment, raining pounding down past the window outside, and kissing him like he wouldn’t get the chance to again. Something burned in his chest and it took every ounce of control Reno had to keep it calm. Cloud looked at him and sighed when Reno didn’t reply.

“I guess not. Don’t worry, I won’t make things awkward. Not like a Trooper and a Turk have much business talking to one another anyways.”

“Yeah,” Reno answered weakly. “No shit.”

There was a loaded silence. Reno hovered in the middle of the apartment and Cloud sat up, pulling the bedsheet around his waist. Reno took the opportunity to appreciate the view. Cloud’s torso was bruised quite badly, mostly on the right-hand side, and Reno knew they weren’t simply from training. The crack of a bat in the shadows of an alley rang sharply through Reno’s mind and he winced, trying to divert his attention elsewhere. The bruises trailed down Cloud’s jaw and breastbone, however, Reno could proudly claim credit for.

Reno paused for a minute, overwhelmed, uncertain, and then said: “Well. See ya.”

Not waiting to hear Cloud’s response, Reno turned the handle of the door and left, trying to ignore the unbearable feeling it gave him. He’d made it half way down the balcony stairs outside the apartment when he heard the door reopen and looked up to see Cloud in nothing but the bedsheet, peering out of the doorway. His face lit up when he laid eyes on Reno.

“You had a good time, though, right?” he called, flush with embarrassment and eyes squinting against the early morning light.

And Reno couldn’t help but chuckle. _Kid’s got guts, alright._

“Meh,” Reno called back with a wink.

Cloud laughed and watched Reno leave, not taking his eyes off of him until he’d turned the corner and was out of sight. Reno stuck a hand into his jacket pocket, rolling aching shoulders, and searched for his cigarettes. He frowned when his fingers instead closed around a small square of card.

“The hell…?” he muttered, and pulled it out.

It was blank. Confused, he flipped it over. There was a phone number scrawled in looping script on the back, and underneath, it was signed: _Cloud. X_.

Reno chuckled and turned the card over a couple more times in his hand. After a long minute, he shrugged, and put it back in his pocket.

XXX

Only eight _visible_ bruises, Reno counted, on his way back to HQ, and the cut on his cheek had been carefully patched with a band aid. Rude had picked him up at the Sector 5 train station and immediately started lecturing him on protocol.

“That’s insubordination.” Reno poked Rude’s arm. “I’ll report you for that.”

“Who was he?” Rude’s expression didn’t change.

Reno sat back against the seat and folded his arms. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, really? Because you’ve gotta face like you’ve had a bad run in with a cactuar and six missed buttons on your shirt, which is three more than usual.”

“So?” Reno pouted.

“So: who was he?”

Reno sniffed and gave in, doing his best to appear nonchalant. “Dunno. Some cute blond Trooper. Great ass.”

The cogs in Rude’s head turned. “You were on Fair’s detail last night. You mean Strife? Scrawny little guy? Hair spiked up like a chocobo?”

“Don’t remind me.” Reno groaned. “Why, he important?”

“He’s scheduled for the Nibelheim mission. Got the notice from Veld last night.”

Reno shot forward in his seat. “What? _When_?”

“Today, I think.”

“But Sephiroth’s on that mission. They don’t send him unless they think it’s gonna be dangerous.”

Rude looked at Reno over his shades. “…Your point being?”

Reno slumped back into the seat, huffing. “Forget it,” he muttered, heart racing. “Just drive, would ya?”

They made it back to HQ in record time. Reno button-mashed the elevator keys until it dinged at B3. Rude eyed him from behind; Reno could feel his partner’s eyes like lasers through the back of his skull. It was doing nothing for his slowly spiralling mood.

“Yo, cut it out, would ya? Makin’ me feel like one of Hojo’s lab rats.”

Rude huffed and followed Reno out of the elevator. “It’s just… nevermind.”

Reno hesitated, hand hovering above the door to Veld’s office, before he turned round to glare at Rude.

“What? Say it. Go on.”

Rude sighed. “Just that you seem twitchy. That Strife boy got under your skin. Ain’t seen you like this in a long while.”

Reno bristled defensively. “What are you, my shrink? Fuck off.”

He turned the door handle and strode up to Veld’s desk where the leader of the Turks was sat, dark eyes glued to a mission report in front of him. He glanced up as Reno and Rude entered, leant back slightly, and steepled his fingers together like a disapproving schoolmaster. The look on Veld’s face irked Reno more than he cared to admit.

“Nice of you to finally show up,” Veld drawled. “Where were you? Tseng was going spare. I had to assure him you weren’t off drunk somewhere with another floozy from Sector 5 like last time.”

Reno choked on his response, producing a slightly pathetic noise from the back of his throat, and Veld sighed.

“It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you have a job to do.”

Reno perked back up. “Nibelheim, right?”

Veld raised an eyebrow. “No. Who told you that? I want you and Rude to clear protesters out of the vicinity of Mako Reactor 2 so that Rufus can give a press conference there this evening.”

“Then who’re you sending on the Nibelheim mission?”

“Tseng.”

“ _Tseng_?” Reno prickled. “You’re shittin’ me, right?”

Veld addressed Reno with a tone usually reserved for dealing with petulant children under the age of seven. “Is there some sort of problem with my orders, Reno, or do you need them repeated? Tseng will shadow Sephiroth to Nibelheim. You will stay in Midgar to assist the President’s son, as I see fit. Let me make it clear that this isn’t up for debate.”

Reno opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he felt Rude’s hand on his shoulder.

“He gets it,” Rude said calmly. “Don’t worry. We’ll head out to Sector 2 now.”

Reno grit his teeth.

“Good.” Veld’s tone did not invite further conversation.

Reno allowed himself to be led out of Veld’s office before turning to Rude, barely containing his outburst until the door swung shut behind them.

“Tseng? He’s sending _Tseng_ over _us_?”

“Why’d you think he’d even consider sending us? Tseng is second in command.” Seeing the look on Reno’s face, Rude quickly adjusted his tone from rational to reassuring. “Look, if something happens, Tseng will radio HQ, and we’ll head in. It’s protocol.”

“Screw protocol. That should be our mission.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

Reno flushed. “’Cause we’re better at this crap than Tseng is!”

“Right.” Rude chuckled. “And it’s in no way because you wanna protect your new boy-toy from a few Mako-powered monsters?”

“Pssh, yeah, right,” Reno lied, stalking off towards the lift again. “Didn’t even remember his name until you said it on the way over here.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

Reno punched Rude in the arm as the lift arrived at their floor. “Shut up, man.”

But Reno had been right to worry. Sometime later, in the middle of an evening’s game of cards in Veld’s office, Veld’s phone rang, and his face hardened the longer he stayed on the call. Reno exchanged a look with Rude before Veld hung up.

“Get your things,” Veld said sharply. “We’re leaving for Nibelheim.”

XXX

The lights of Wall Market played brokenly across the puddles on the concrete from the day’s earlier showers. Reno lounged by the entrance, the glow of his cigarette illuminating the hollows under his eyes. His back ached and his feet hurt. Babysitting Zack Fair and his equally spiky-haired friend was the last thing he wanted to do right now, but orders were orders.

 _“How you holding up?”_ Rude’s voice crackled through his earpiece.

Reno took a drag on the cigarette. “I’ve already thought about killing myself twice.”

_“That good, huh?”_

Reno glanced over his shoulder to where the two Shinra recruits were perusing a stall selling bean buns. “Says you. Sephiroth never goes anywhere on his nights off. Might as well not even tail him.”

 _“Look on the bright side_.” A pause.

Reno huffed out a laugh. “Exactly.”

_“You know what I mean. See you around.”_

Reno sighed and stood up, slipping into the throng of Wall Market after dark. Most folks were either too drunk or too busy to notice him pass by, keeping a close eye out for Zack and his friend as they moved down the concrete stairs towards the Honey Bee Inn. It was kind of nice to blend in, and Reno took up a position by an outdoor table to finish his cigarette. From here, he could see Zack tugging the young man dressed in a white crop and belted jeans towards the curtains marking the Inn’s entrance. What was the kid’s name again? Reno wracked his brains. Strife. Cloud Strife. That was it. Right?

“Zack, I can’t – I _can’t_.” Cloud laughed and held up his hands.

“Sure you can!” The SOLDIER chirruped. “I already booked us a booth. It’s your eighteenth! Time for baby’s first legal lap dance.” Zack winked. Reno snorted from the shadows of the bar.

Cloud looked utterly mortified. “ _Zack_.”

“Okay, I’m kidding,” Zack waved a hand and grinned. “But seriously, let’s get some drinks. Maybe you’ll meet someone nice. And then you won’t even _need_ to pay for a dance!”

“ _Zack!_ ”

The boys headed out and Reno dutifully followed. He wondered internally if Rude had headed home yet. Or if at least he was getting some shut eye since Sephiroth rarely left the miniature library he’d amassed in his quarters. Reno’s gaze took in Cloud’s slim waist and broad shoulders as the boys made for a bar up the stairs. The Trooper was nice to look at, there was no denying it. Damn shame they hid all that under the featureless uniform most of the day.

Zack stopped to flirt with some women dressed as cowgirls and Reno slunk into a side alley while they were distracted, flicking the butt of his cigarette into one of the puddles in the concrete. He watched as Zack plucked the stetson from the girl’s head and goofed around, putting it on his own, and then on Cloud’s. The girl eyed them both appreciatively and then took off the fabric bandana tied around the hat, scribbled something onto it with a marker, and handed it to Cloud. He blushed and gave her back her hat, and the pair continued on their way. Reno dragged a hand across his face. God, this kid was terrible at flirting. His pull game was almost as bad as Rude’s.

He tailed them for a bit longer until they downed a few shots from a pop-up stand and entered into a black-lit nightclub. Reno sighed, undid a few more shirt buttons, and reluctantly followed them inside.

After several hours of watching Zack and Cloud duck in and out of bars, clubs, and diners in Wall Market, Reno thought he deserved a drink. After all, Zack was getting seemingly drunker by the second, and Cloud, as ever, trailed after him like a chick to mother. In fact, Reno had just swiped a beer from a man too deeply immersed in seducing an obviously disinterested young woman to notice, when he heard Zack pleading with Cloud as they emerged from their fourth bar.

“You know I love you, man, but we’re fresh back from Junon, and I’m leaving Midgar tomorrow, and…”

Cloud chuckled and waved. “It’s fine.”

Reno cocked his head and leant back into the shadows. Cloud was now wearing the cowgirl’s bandana around his neck, his hair adorably dishevelled. Zack was flush in the face and holding a half-eaten taco in one hand. Reno took a swig of his beer.

“You need to meet her,” Zack said lovingly, slinging an arm around Cloud’s waist. “After I’m back from Nibelheim, we’ll do a date. Double date. Find someone cute and bring them along. Who’s that girl you said you were crushing on from back home?”

“Why can’t I just meet her, just me?”

“Because…” drunk Zack pondered this. “Fine. Just you. But just make sure to get some in the meantime. Don’t want all _this_ going to waste.”

Zack squeezed Cloud’s midriff and he laughed, swatting Zack away.

“You got it.”

“Anyway. Love you. Gotta run.” Zack kissed Cloud on the side of the head and jogged off into the nearest alley. “Happy birthday, you beautiful son of a bitch! Get some water and go to bed at a reasonable hour!”

Cloud laughed, shouting back: “Yes, _mother!_ ” as Zack disappeared into the shadows.

Reno narrowed his eyes, watching the way Cloud’s posture visibly changed the moment Zack was gone. His shoulders slumped, his head sunk forwards, and one hand automatically went into his pocket in an attempt to look casual.

Something snagged in Reno’s chest.

Reno was so distracted, in fact, that he didn’t notice as his foot caught on a broken bottle. When had he taken a step forward? Didn’t matter. Cloud’s head whipped round and his eyes landed on Reno, not-so-hidden in the gloom of the stairwell. Ha. The kid wasn’t as drunk as he was letting Zack think he was. And for a brief moment, Reno was sort of mesmerised by the brilliant blue of Cloud’s eyes, before he realised his cover was well and truly blown.

“Shit,” Reno muttered, and palmed the back of his neck. “Guess the jig is up.”

He took a few steps forward and did a mock bow, holding the beer bottle against his stomach. “Strife, right?”

Cloud nodded. “And you’re… you’re Reno.” He looked around, concerned. “You’re a Turk. Why are the Turks here? Is something happening, sir?”

“Not anymore, it ain’t.” Reno nodded in the direction Zack had exited. “Your boy Zack is off for his Sector 5 booty call and I, my good bitch, am _out_ of here.”

It took a few seconds for things to filter into Cloud’s brain. “You were _tailing_ Zack?”

Reno shrugged. “Wish I wasn’t, believe me. I had much better plans for my evening than watching you two get shitfaced. Specifically, me getting shitfaced.”

“Sorry, sir.” Cloud offered him a smile. “But hey, thanks for looking out for Zack.”

 _Ouch. Is this kid stupid?_ Reno thought, and then bobbed his head. “Yeah, whatever, man. And quit calling me sir – you’re not on duty. You headed home? It nearby?”

“Uh.” Cloud glanced around. “Not really.”

Cloud stood there for a moment and then shot Reno an awkward smile. Reno stared at him, running his tongue across the back of his bottom teeth. He could do worse. Much worse.

And those _eyes_.

Reno took another step forward and offered Cloud the bottle in his hand. Cloud regarded it for a second and then took it, nodded to Reno, and drank.

“It’s your birthday?” Reno asked, taking back the bottle. “You ain’t meeting up with anyone else tonight, are ya?”

“Nope.”

Cloud’s eyes followed the line of Reno’s jacket as he passed the bottle back.

“Mhm.” A pause; another flutter in Reno’s chest. “Wanna head over to Sector 5 and grab a seat at a bar that doesn’t smell of puke?”

Cloud looked surprised for a second, but it quickly melted into delight. “Yeah,” he said, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. “Sounds good.”

They made their way out of the heat and light of Wall Market, taking the back roads through to Sector 5. Away from the buzz of noise and barely filtered consciousness, there was a sort of peace that even Reno could appreciate. He walked next to Cloud, and they passed the bottle back and forth between them.

“You’re my superior,” Cloud said slowly, as if the notion had just occurred to him. “Am I… am I gonna get in trouble for this?”

Reno snorted. “For what? We’re just having a drink, not spilling company secrets to the Daily Buzz. Whatcha think Shinra’s gonna do? Send down a team of 1st Classers to come and beat the crap outta us?”

Cloud laughed, seeming to shake off his nerves a little at Reno’s blasé attitude. “Sorry. I just… You’re right.”

“Hell yeah I am. Now let’s get moving. I’m fucking parched.”

They made it into the Sector 5 slums and turned down into a pathway where a small bar was nestled under a huge sheet of rubble. It wasn’t busy, but the owner shot Reno a nervous look before fetching them their beers. Cloud sat down next to Reno and leant on the bar, looking equally worried.

“Lighten _up_ , man,” Reno scoffed, taking a drink from the bottles the bartender sat down in front of them. “He’s just twitchy ‘cause they don’t usually get Turks down here. Well, that’s not technically true, but they don’t usually get _me_.”

Cloud frowned. “You mean Veld?”

Reno snorted and shook his head. “Hell no. But we’re not here to talk about my boss. We’re here to drink, and, uh, celebrate your birthday. And stuff.”

Reno held his bottle out and Cloud clinked it with his own, a soft smile gracing his lips. Reno looked away, feeling something a little too hungry stir in the pit of his stomach. They sat in silence for a while, drinking and watching as the bartender closed up for the evening. A little radio at the end of the bar sputtered out some half-decent songs, which got slower and more melodic as the night drew on. Bare bulbs strung in rows above the seats glowed yellow in the dark.

With their second round of drinks, Cloud seemed to grow a little more spine.

“So… what’s it like being a Turk?”

Reno shot him a sideways glance. “What’s it like being a Trooper?”

Cloud chuckled. “Is that meant to be a trick question?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine.” Cloud smiled. “Then why did you ask me out for drinks? I’m a nobody. I bet you didn’t even know my name until a few hours ago.”

“Not true,” Reno lied. “I asked you out because…” he hesitated. _Truth or lie?_ “I’m bored.”

“You’re… bored?”

“Sure.”

Cloud fell silent and stared at Reno, narrowing his eyes. Reno could see him sizing up the statement. And then he could see his eyes trail down his chest to where there was a single button left holding his shirt closed. Reno chuckled and took a long drink. The booze was beginning to filter into his conscious and turned the edges of everything soft. The light from the bulbs above seemed to glimmer brighter. The music from the radio bled pleasantly into their surroundings.

_Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all._

Reno turned and pointed his bottle in Cloud’s direction. “Presents. You get birthday presents?”

Cloud blinked. “Uh, no, not really. Zack paid for everything in Wall Market. And you’re paying for the drinks here. I’d call that a present.”

“Pfft. You’ve got low standards, man. I’ve blackmailed Rude into getting me some real nice Summons for my birthday three years in a row now.”

“If you’re blackmailing him, is it really a present?”

“All the same to me.”

Cloud paused. “ _How_ are you blackmailing him?”

Reno grinned. “ _Now_ you’re asking the right questions.”

The third round of drinks arrived and the bar emptied as it approached midnight. Reno had dragged his chair closer to Cloud’s and the young Trooper was laughing, his eyes crinkled up and shining in the low light. They both were feeling the drink now, the way everything was warm and nice and they could brush arms without it seeming out of place. The radio hummed and a new song began to play. Cloud tilted his head, eyes widening as the melody thrummed through the worn speaker.

Reno raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I… ah, it’s nothing. I just… I love this song.”

Cloud closed his eyes and bobbed his head appreciatively, mumbling the words under his breath, cheeks flush with alcohol. Reno drank in every inch of his face while he wasn’t looking; the dark eyelashes, the sharp jawline, the slightly pink-tinged nose. And here he’d thought Zack had been the pretty boy.

Cloud slipped off of the stool and swayed back and forth, vaguely in time with the rhythm. Reno slid round in his seat, leaning both arms behind him against the bar and watching as Cloud moved around, smiling as he waved his fingers through the air to the music. Reno didn’t miss the way the bandana brushed against his neck, the rise and fall of the cropped tee, the subtle glimpses of skin beneath. He took a drink to distract himself. It didn’t work. That hungry thing was back, desperate and warm and so very very wanting for the blond-haired boy with the sappy smile.

A self-conscious laugh derailed Reno’s train of thought as Cloud caught sight of Reno watching him. “Sorry, I just… my mom and me used to dance to this all the time.”

Reno shrugged. It was getting harder by the second to stay nonchalant, now that the drink was making everything so much easier to say.

“Then let’s dance.”

He hopped off of the stool and snatched up Cloud’s wrist. The song was a soft one, acoustic, but with rhythmic guitar strings that gave it purpose. Reno didn’t know the words but it didn’t matter. Cloud flushed and smiled as best he could to disguise his surprise, and fell into step with his new dance partner.

“We Turks ain’t always assholes, ya know,” Reno murmured as they moved slowly together, fingers burning where they held his wrist.

Cloud smiled playfully. “Hmm. I think I still need a little convincing.”

“That so?”

They drew closer together, the world made bright at its edges as the alcohol settled into their veins. A rogue hand found itself at Cloud’s waist, as the other slid up to wind its fingers in his. Reno pulled Cloud closer and ducked his head, feeling Cloud’s warm breaths on his lips as their noses brushed. God, he’d missed this. Half-lidded eyes, lips slick with drink, fumbling and desperate but a little unsteady with need. And Cloud was just as starved. Those shallow little breaths and lazy grasps for his belt were proof enough of that.

Reno leant forwards to bridge the gap, to taste the parted lips in front of him, and –

 _“Reno.”_ Tseng’s voice crackled sharply through his earpiece. _“Status report. Any updates on Fair?”_

Reno grit his teeth and sighed, disentangling himself from Cloud so that he could reach up and snatch the earpiece out of his ear. Cloud watched with amusement as Reno then proceeded to hurl the earpiece as far as he possibly could away from them, listening as it hit a far-off roof with a resounding ping.

“That could have been important,” Cloud commented, as Reno stalked over to the bar and dropped a few gil on the counter for their last round. “Official, ‘ _top secret’_ Shinra business.”

“Who gives a shit if it was? Far as I’m concerned, I’m officially off the clock.” Reno paused and looked at him, a little wantonly. “Wanna get out of here?”

Cloud blushed. “Thought you’d never ask.”

XXX

Nibelheim was burning.

Reno had his face pressed up against the chopper window, staring down at the town in flames below him. Dawn was cresting over the horizon but there were still areas below that were engulfed by fire, burning hot enough to fool anyone into believing that they’d just started. Bodies littered the ground. The water tower in the centre of town had collapsed and from where they flitted over the wreckage, Reno could pick out Shinra troops on the ground working to douse the blaze. 

“What happened here?” Rude murmured.

From the back of the chopper, Veld cleared his throat and got to his feet. “Official statement so far is that the reactor on Mt. Nibel exploded and monsters swarmed the town.”

“Right,” Reno managed through gritted teeth, “and what’s the unofficial statement?”

Veld paused. “That, we are still trying to completely ascertain. But as far as reports go… something occurred at the reactor. We’re not sure what. And this–” Veld gestured to the carnage below them “–was somehow Sephiroth’s doing.”

Reno looked sharply to Rude, who shared his look of disbelief.

“Any survivors?” Rude asked.

“As far as we’re aware, 1st Class SOLDIER Zack Fair and a few townsfolk are alive but severely injured, as well as one of the Troopers we sent to accompany Fair and Sephiroth.”

Reno felt his breathing quicken. “What’s the name?”

Veld looked at Reno curiously and then consulted a small data tablet nestled into the crook of his arm. “Trooper Strife. Cloud Strife.”

Reno whipped around to face Rude. “Get us down there. _Now_.”

The chopper landed not far from the reactor atop Mt. Nibel and before it had even touched the ground Reno leapt down and ran across to where a cluster of Shinra troops were gathered in front of Tseng. He looked like he hadn’t slept, and the left side of his face was stained in smoke from the fires below. Next to him stood Professor Hojo, who was poking at a corpse on a gurney beside him with a morbid enthusiasm on his face. The chopper that Hojo had arrived in took off abruptly as Rude landed.

“Tseng!” Reno shouted over the whir of the helicopter blades. _“Tseng!”_

Tseng glanced up from where he was talking to one of the other Turks – Ruluf, Reno noted distractedly – and quickly dismissed him. Ruluf nodded to Tseng, glanced sharply to Reno, and then hurried away.

“Reno.” Tseng turned to face him. “Good to see reinforcements have finally arrived.”

“The hell is _he_ doing here?” Reno stabbed a finger accusingly at Hojo, who didn’t look up from the charred cadaver he was prying open with the tip of his pen.

Tseng raised an eyebrow. “Protocol. You know that. The reactor in Mt. Nibel has given the Professor much interest due to the unusual specimens it has produced.”

“ _Bullshit_ ,” Reno hissed. “You know for a fact that if there weren’t any survivors he wouldn’t have to–”

“Reno.” Veld’s voice rang out sharply behind him. “That’s enough.”

Reno turned around to glare at Veld as his superior fell in line and nodded to Tseng. Rude followed, standing a short distance off with his hands folded in front of him. He shot Reno a warning look over his shades and Reno bit back whatever venomous words had bubbled up in the back of his throat.

“Tseng. Status report.”

Tseng looked at Veld and nodded. “Survivors of the attack are being loaded into transport vehicles as we speak courtesy of Units 7 and 8. Units 2 and 6 are putting out the remaining fires on the east of Nibelheim. As for the reactor…” Tseng glanced at the entrance off to his right. “Units 1, 3, and 4 are unloading the specimens from inside. Unit 5 has been assigned to transporting Jenova in a separate convoy.”

Hojo wandered up behind him and addressed the assembled Turks, his smile unsettlingly wide. “As the head of Shinra’s Science Research Division, might I pose a suggestion to you fine gentlemen?”

Veld looked at him. “Go ahead, Professor.”

“Specimens tainted with Mako and… _other_ such manifestations, might be best dissected in my lab in Shinra Manor.” The Professor chuckled sinisterly. “The survivors might bear some interesting changes from their time exposed to such chemicals. It would be quite exquisite to break them down to a cellular level and see how the events of tonight have altered their genetic makeup. In fact, I’m sure President Shinra would be thrilled to hear that something of value can be salvaged from this – dare I say it – _disaster_ of a mission.”

Reno gaped at Hojo. “Yo, you can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I _am_ , my boy,” Hojo sneered, adjusting his glasses. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do in the pursuit of science?”

“He’s right.”

Everyone turned to look at Veld. Even Tseng looked a little perturbed by his agreement with Hojo.

“Veld, might I suggest–”

“No need, Tseng.” Veld took a step forwards and nodded to Hojo. “Professor, feel free to utilise Units 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 as you see fit.”

“You _bastard_.”

All eyes fell on Reno. He was staring Veld straight in the face, breathing raggedly, fists clenched.

“Reno,” Rude said warningly, but it fell on deaf ears.

“How _could_ you?” Reno spat. “Those are _our_ people, man. They’re on _our_ side. _Shinra_ , remember?”

Veld’s expression settled into something altogether terrifying. “Not anymore they’re not. Tseng, ensure the necessary preparations are made to assist Professor Hojo in his research. That order is final.”

Veld strode away back towards the chopper. Reno looked at Tseng, feeling all that anger burning in his chest turn suddenly cold. He looked at Rude, who shared his helplessness.

“I’m sorry, Reno,” Tseng murmured, and turned away.

“Tseng.” Reno didn’t like the way his own voice wavered. “You can fix this. You can.”

Tseng looked back at Reno over his shoulder. “Orders are orders.”

Rude lunged forwards in time to catch Reno before his fist made contact with the back of Tseng’s head. Reno could feel everyone looking at him, slowing in what they were doing to watch. It only made him angrier. Tseng glanced at Reno and then turned his back, walking off with Hojo as Rude wrestled Reno into submission.

“Reno – _stop_.”

“Get the fuck _off_ me, man!” Reno snapped, but Rude didn’t let go. “They’re not dead yet! Ya hear that, Tseng?” He shouted in the other Turk’s direction. “You’re _killing_ them! You _bastard_!”

“ _Reno!_ ” It wasn’t often Rude raised his voice, and Reno flinched to hear it. “ _Enough_. He’s just following protocol. Leave it. There’s nothing we can do.”

Reno writhed in Rude’s iron grip until he was breathless, and only then did Rude release him. Reno sat there on the ground, panting, feeling utterly powerless.

“You know what Hojo does to people,” he said after a moment, voice low and tired. “You’ve seen it.”

Rude nodded. “I know. I…” Rude paused, and let out a slightly unsteady breath. “I’m sorry.”

Reno looked up, watching the first of the trucks pull away from Mt. Nibel, and knew that there was nothing he could do to stop them. He slipped a hand into his pocket, felt around for the little square of card with Cloud’s number on the back, and pulled it out.

_Cloud. X._

After a long minute, he slipped the card back into his pocket, got roughly to his feet, and walked away. 


	2. Poison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do you miss me like I miss you? When he touches me, it ain't you.  
> Take a shot, or two, or four. Any kind of poison to forget that you're a stranger now."  
> – Poison, YAS.

Cloud walked ahead of Reno on the path, leading him to where a tarp laden with the day’s earlier rainfall glistened under the light of the street lamps. Reno watched him go with encomiastic eyes. Cloud obliviously chattered about his motorcycle, a slightly embarrassed blush accompanying the smile on his face. And remarkably, it wasn’t making Reno nauseous. If anything, it was making him even more desperate to get somewhere more private. Reno nodded along, half-listening, the other half of his energy being funnelled into decelerating the slow heat taking over his skin.

“Had her for years,” Cloud explained, beaming. “Haven’t had much time to work on her – could use a few repairs, really – but she’s the fastest way to get around without taking the train.”

“Uh, right,” Reno said. “Your place nearby?”

“Kind of. Well… a few minutes away.”

Cloud reached to take the sheet off of the motorcycle when the clink of glass on the path behind them caused them both to turn around. It was dark, but Reno’s eyes picked out five indistinct shapes moving out of the shadows at the edges of the street. That sixth sense that had kept him safe all his life told him something wasn’t right. He motioned to Cloud to step away from the tarp and Cloud did as instructed, smile faltering.

“Looks like we got some party crashers,” Reno muttered.

The shadows separated from the rest and stepped out under the street lamps, revealing a group of roughly-dressed men and women, some of which staggered slightly as they walked. One of them held a gun, and the other four had a variety of knives and bats strapped to their person.

Reno relaxed slightly, a slow, easy smile spreading across his face. “Oh, well _now_ it’s a night out.”

The woman heading the group took a few steps forwards. “Evening, gents. Heading home, are we?”

Cloud stepped forward, falling in line with Reno. “Ma’am, we’re not looking for any trouble.”

“You heard him, lady,” Reno chuckled. “Wouldn’t wanna harm Shinra personnel, would ya? I’m not really in the mood for a fight, so run along now – before I change my mind.”

The group exchanged looks with one another and nasty smiles spread across their faces. The woman who seemed to be their nominated spokesperson cracked her knuckles and motioned for the man behind her to ready his weapon.

“You’re both Shinra? Even better. We were just gonna take your gil, but we’ve got a special policy down here for dealing with Shinra scum. What do you say, boys?”

One of the men spat on the ground. “ _Thought_ you was a Turk. One of your lot beat my buddy up so bad he couldn’t walk for months. Lost every gil he had paying for treatment, and now he’s sleeping rough down in Sector 6.”

More voices joined in the chorus, lamenting poor treatment, reduced jobs, property poisoned by Mako radiation. Hands went to knives and bats as the tension spiked. Reno sighed and took his nightstick out from where it hung on the back of his belt, feeling Cloud tense in preparation next to him. The lead woman rallied the group behind her and stepped forwards.

“I heard that Turks work in pairs.” The woman narrowed her eyes. “And without your partner, you ain’t shit. You know what that means? It’s the perfect time for me and my buddies to take out the trash.”

“Alright, have it your way,” Reno said, charging the nightstick with electricity. “Cloud, let’s teach these assholes a lesson they won’t soon forget.”

In a flash Reno shot forward, disarming the lead woman as she rushed them and chucked her knife Cloud’s way. Cloud caught it deftly out of the air and instantly took on the nearest attacker. Without giving her a chance to fight back, Reno brought the nightstick down on the back of the woman’s knees and sent a pulse of electricity up the baton. She shrieked and crumpled forwards, just in time to reveal the man behind her as he unloaded three rounds from his pistol. Reno brought up the nightstick to block and the bullets pinged away, allowing him a golden window to surge towards the man and strike him hard in the torso and side of the head.

Something always overcame Reno when he fought, something that usually drove him to move faster and strike harder and be _smarter_ than whoever he was put up against. Twice, he’d had the opportunity to train with Angeal and Genesis. It was an immense learning curve, but it meant that Reno’s senses for combat were sharper than most Turks’. Afterall, it wasn’t just his pretty face that had got him to third in command. There was a ruthlessness in his strikes that even Rude couldn’t achieve.

The third attacker quickly fell under a relentless lash of blows from Reno, swathes of blue electricity crackling across their body. Reno wiped away a smear of blood on his cheek from a lucky hit and turned to face the last two, realising very quickly with a sinking feeling in his stomach, that he hadn’t checked on Cloud at all. Used to having a capable Turk watching his back, Reno was startled to see the blond boy on the ground next to his first opponent, knife lying several feet away, and the last attacker going to town on Cloud’s ribs with a large wooden bat.

Reno snarled and leapt towards the man, swinging the nightstick in a wide arc and catching him on the back of the head. Cloud used the opportunity to scramble to his feet and snatch up the knife, swiping forwards and just missing a hit as Reno took out the assailant for good with a final strike to the lower back. He crumpled like paper and left the two of them standing there, breathing heavily, staring at one another as the blue glow of the nightstick faded into the dark.

“Sorry,” Cloud said at last, still panting, but managing a small, apologetic smile. “I’m not so good without my sword.”

Reno took one look at the kid, hair untidy, shirt ridden up, bruises already blossoming out across the right-hand side of his body, and felt something terrifyingly similar to affection hit him hard enough to leave him breathless. Reno stepped over the incapacitated attacker, wrapped one hand around the side of Cloud’s neck and pulled him in, kissing him with enough fervour that he felt Cloud’s little gasp of surprise get caught in his throat. Cloud dropped the knife, heard it clatter as it hit the ground, and then grabbed the lapels of Reno’s suit, drawing him in as close as they could get. It was messy, frantic; the blood on Reno’s face smeared across Cloud’s cheek, but Reno was tired of pretending to be a gentleman. And from the way that Cloud was pressing tight against him, teeth nipping at Reno’s lower lip, hands sliding lower and lower down the front of his jacket, it seemed that Cloud was tired of him pretending too. 

When they pulled apart, lips wet and pink, Reno chuckled and licked his thumb, using it wipe away the blood he’d left on Cloud’s cheek.

“I got red on ya,” he said softly. “Whoops.”

“Mhmm.” Cloud’s gaze wandered to the unconscious body by his foot. He prodded it cautiously. “Should… should we call this in?”

“Nah.” Reno shook his head. “This mess’ll clean itself up by morning.”

Cloud, obviously relieved, dipped in and stole another kiss, longer this time, savoured the mingled taste of salt and booze on Reno’s lips. Feeling heady, Reno gently pushed away from Cloud and made long strides towards the tarp. Cloud trailed after, only now seeming to realise the pain in his ribs, and Reno helped him pull back the cover to reveal an old Hardy-Daytona. The motorcycle wasn’t in too bad shape; Reno was surprised the kid had managed to keep such an early model working when scrap parts for any machine down here usually came badly damaged.

Cloud manoeuvred it out from where it was leant against the wall and slung one leg over the saddle. He looked at Reno expectantly, who hesitated, a hand going to the back of his neck.

“Is this, uh… gonna be okay?”

Cloud quirked his head. “What?”

Reno poked the bike apprehensively with his foot. “I mean… I’m more of a chopper kinda guy, myself.”

Realisation dawned on Cloud and he burst out laughing, burying his face in his hands. Reno flushed scarlet and strode over to the bike, slipping on behind Cloud and smacking him on the shoulder.

“Yo, you’d better _not_ be laughing at me, asshole,” Reno snapped.

Cloud recovered from his laughter and revved the engine into life. “Sorry, I just… is this your first time?”

Reno glared at him and wrapped both arms about Cloud’s waist. “Just drive the damn bike, would ya?”

As the Hardy rumbled into being between their thighs, a steady stream of rain began to fall from the sky, blowing in through the gaps in the plate above. They looked up and Reno sighed, resting his head forwards onto Cloud’s shoulder.

“Pretty heavy,” Cloud said as he drove out and began to ride down between the streets towards his apartment. “Might have to go a bit slower than usual. Don’t want to crash.”

“You’d better _not_ crash,” Reno muttered. “Amateur.”

“Amateur?” Cloud revved the engine and grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

XXX

“No, Reno,” Tseng said, tone carefully level. “And that’s my last word on the matter.”

Reno stared at his new superior. Tseng’s desk was obscured by research papers, most of which were copies of the ones from Shinra Manor, and he was tapping away repetitively at the screen, making notes on each document as he went.

“Come on, Tseng. Fair’s valuable. 1st Class SOLDIER. Or does that not mean anything to Shinra anymore?”

Tseng sighed. “Reno. Between Veld resigning in the middle of this Nibelheim crisis and Rufus worrying over his father uncovering his involvement with Avalanche, I am far too occupied with work to be meddling in the affairs of Professor Hojo.” Seeing the look on Reno’s face, Tseng quickly added: “And let me make it clear that you are not to do so either.”

Reno clenched his teeth, and then blew out a low breath. “Fine. Have it your way.”

Tseng watched Reno leave his office, slamming the door shut behind him as he went.

Rude found Reno later that night sitting in a bar in Sector 7, hunkered down in the back with the Nibelhiem file on the table in front of him alongside three almost empty bottles of beer. Rude took a sweep of the bar, spotted Reno, and came to sit down opposite him.

“Yo,” Reno drawled, glancing up. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Ha,” Rude deadpanned. “What are you doing here? A dive like Seventh Heaven ain’t your style.”

Reno took a swig from the bottle in front of him. “Leave it, man, I’m not in the mood.”

Before Rude could reply, the waitress swooped over and cleared Reno’s empty bottles off of the table. Reno looked up, doing his best to look pathetic, in the hopes that she would take pity on him and give him his next round on the house.

She noticed Rude and smiled. “Well, this is the first time you’ve brought a friend. I’m Tifa, the owner. What can I get you?”

Reno watched every cog in Rude’s brain malfunction at once and he just kind of stared at her, stuttering. Tifa cocked her head, confused, and Reno waved her away.

“He’ll have a whisky. You know what? Make it two. And keep ‘em coming.”

Tifa smiled at Reno and winked. “You got it.”

She flitted off between the tables and Reno kicked Rude hard in the shin. Rude whipped round, coughing, a red flush spreading out across his cheeks.

“Quit staring, man,” Reno smirked. “You’re damn near about to drool.”

Rude jerked a thumb in Tifa’s direction. “She always worked here?”

“Weren’t you listening? She owns the place.”

Rude took a few moments to steady his thoughts. Reno watched this process with some amusement, leaning back with one arm slung over his chair.

“Missing Chelsea?” He asked after a minute.

Rude sniffed. “Used to. But not so much anymore.” He nodded to the open file on the table. “Ain’t it about time you gave that up?”

Reno knew this question was coming and tried his best to wrestle his tone into something casual, but it just came out sounding strained. “Those were _our_ guys, man. Ya know, after Nibelheim, I… I thought a lot about Shinra. About our job. I just kept thinking that if I was ever in trouble, would Tseng bail me out? Would Shinra _let_ him? Or would I end up like Zack and Cloud, sold out to a psycho like Hojo just to keep me quiet?”

Rude nodded slowly. “Yeah. I thought the same. But after a while, I knew I had to put that behind me. This job ain’t easy. Even Tseng is struggling to adjust now he’s in charge. But we’re only following orders. You really think that if you pester the right folks for long enough, they’ll let Zack and Cloud go?”

“I…”

Reno struggled to form an answer without snapping at Rude, and instead finished off the bottle in front of him so he didn’t have to. Rude was right. He was always right. And Reno hated to admit it, but he wasn’t ready to go against Tseng’s orders and risk his position for Zack and Cloud. Maybe that made him a coward. Maybe that made him loyal. Was there even a difference when it came to working for Shinra? He’d only known Cloud for one night. Zack, he’d known a little longer, but they weren’t anywhere near being friends. So maybe it wasn’t the fact that it had been people he knew under Hojo’s knife that had got under his skin. Maybe it was that someone who they were supposed to rely on – who _Reno_ still relied on – had turned them over without even a second thought.

“I get it. I do.” Rude said sincerely, after a long beat. “You wanna help them. Hell, you might even feel a bit responsible for what happened. I know I did. Cissnei, Ruluf, Balto – we all knew it wasn’t right. But have you ever stopped to consider how Zack and Cloud are now?”

“I – what?”

Rude sighed. “Think about it. It’s been what, three months? Give or take? Three months in Hojo’s lab. Three months under the microscope. That’s a long time, man. You ever considered there won’t be anything left of them to save?”

Reno stared at Rude, a horrified realisation dawning over him. How had he not considered this? He’d seen Hojo’s sick little experiments. Failed SOLDIERs. Fleshy little lumps with too many eyes and arms and practically begging for death. Was that what Cloud and Zack were now? What had Hojo done to them in the time that had passed since the Incident? It was not unrealistic to think that they might already be dead, if not something much, much worse.

Rude nodded, seeing the look on Reno’s face. “You get it. Good.”

“So I’m just supposed to, what?” Reno asked, uncertain. “Kick back? Forget about them?”

“No. I know I won’t. But they’re gone, man. You gotta realise that. Whatever Hojo’s been up to, they ain’t ever walking out of that lab again. I know that. And I think a part of you does, too.”

In the brief silence, Tifa appeared back at the table, plonking down two glasses of whisky and pouring out a drink into each.

Reno made a vague hand gesture towards the tray she carried. “Go ahead and leave the bottle.”

“Alright,” she said, unable to keep the slight note of concern out of her voice. “You boys okay? Celebrating, I hope?”

Reno snorted. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Tifa smiled tensely and left, and Reno took a gulp of whisky. He hated whisky. It was Rude’s drink, really, and that’s why he’d ordered it. Something heavy had settled into his chest, taking the place of whatever had driven him these last months. It stung worse than the whisky. He was so tired, and it hit him all of a sudden like a truck. Maybe this was the answer. Maybe Rude had been right from the start, like he had been about everything else. Reno was beating himself up over something that he couldn’t do anything about – _wouldn’t_ do anything about. Not unless he wanted to look for work elsewhere. And at that, Reno drew the line.

He picked up the file on the table in front of him, stuffed it into his bag, and kicked them both under the table. He’d always known Shinra were the villains. He’d just never quite realised that that had made him one as well.

Reno downed the rest of the glass. “I can’t believe you drink this shit,” he muttered, pouring out another round.

Rude chuckled mirthlessly. “You get used to it.”

XXX

Rain was pounding off of the roofs and gables by the time and Reno and Cloud arrived at Cloud’s apartment. It was this tiny building tucked away between two larger ones, but with a set of stairs that led up to a second-floor balcony where Cloud rented his room. The paint was peeling off of the door and the railings. The rooms below were vacant, and rain dripped in through the shattered front window.

They clambered off of the bike and ran for the shelter of the balcony, shaking their clothes and hair as they climbed up to the second floor.

“It’s not much,” Cloud said, taking a damp key from his pocket, “but at least we’ll be out of the rain.”

Reno sniffed. “I’ve fucked in worse places than this.”

“That’s not a compliment.”

“Never said it was. Now hurry up. I’m freezing my tits off out here.”

Cloud turned away to unlock the door and Reno took the opportunity to admire the lines of his shoulders through the soaking wet shirt, the way the beads of rain pooled at the bottom of the fabric and rolled down his back into the rise of his jeans. A part of Reno couldn’t believe he was really here. Maybe he’d regret this in the morning. But right now, all he could think about was the taste of Cloud in his mouth and the burning feeling taking over his body inch by inch. 

Before he really knew what he was doing, Reno had taken a few paces forwards and snaked a hand around Cloud’s waist, running his fingers down under the front of his waistband to where the skin was warm and dry.

Cloud gasped a little, feeling the cold fingers as they slipped further down - and then Reno’s warm lips against his neck.

“You good?”

Cloud nodded; eyes closing briefly. “Yeah.”

“Then open the door.”

The door swung open to a dark apartment. The worst of the drink from earlier had worn off but there was still a pleasant headiness to both of their movements, every action dictated by thick fingers or a clumsy kiss. Cloud turned around to reciprocate and Reno’s hand never left his jeans, pushing gently with each movement further back into the shadows, using the belt buckle as an anchor. The door clanged shut and Cloud dipped his head, searching for breathy lips in the pitch blackness.

Their bodies hit a hard surface and Reno took the moment of stability to run his fingers up under the edge of the Cloud’s crop and pull it up over his head. The shirt hit the floor with a wet slap, rainwater splattering across the wooden boards. The rest of their clothes, down to Reno’s trousers and Cloud’s jeans, followed quickly after, the bandana necktie included. Their eyes were beginning to adjust to the streetlight filtering in past the thin curtains over the window, but it was meagre at best. Reno pushed into Cloud, torsos tight together, catching one of his wrists up in his hand and pinning it to the wall behind his head. Cloud panted desperately, seeking him out in the dark, knee coming up instinctively and running along the inside seam of Reno’s thigh.

Reno bit back a growl and buckled, propping himself up with his free hand against the wall – realising quickly as he slid his hand along it, it _wasn’t_ a wall, but a door.

“Where – where does this go?” Reno asked, between breaths.

“Shower,” Cloud managed, before Reno turned the door handle and they stumbled backwards inside.

Bare skin hit the tiled walls of the walk-in shower, a dull LED flickering into life overhead at the motion, barely enough to see by. A flick of Cloud’s wrist sent the water running, and they both gasped as the hot water struck their cold shoulders.

Steam filled the room quickly and the lone light glimmered brokenly across it as it shifted through the air. Cloud looked older somehow, with that spiked, boyish hair slicked back against his skull. He cupped Reno’s face in his hands and kissed him hard, fingers sliding back across the sharp line of his jaw to the band holding his ponytail in place.

Freed from the band, Reno’s hair fell in scarlet sheets across his shoulders, longer and thicker than Cloud had expected. He ran his hands through it, water droplets clinging to his eyelashes, framing blue eyes wide with surprise. It was too much. Reno’s hands fumbled for the buckle on Cloud’s belt and pulled, hearing the metal clunk as it hit the floor of the shower. At the same time, Cloud’s nimble fingers undid Reno’s, and with a slightly ungainly final tug, the last of their clothes vanished.

They slowed, breathing heavy, the water from the showerhead thundering down onto their skin. Reno traced his fingers from the muscled lines of Cloud’s hips, across his bruised ribs, chest, and under his chin, tilting it up so he could look him in the eye.

“Last chance,” Reno murmured. “I promise, I’m no good for you.”

Cloud’s voice was almost a plea. “ _Reno_.”

It was the first time that Cloud had said his name out loud since they’d met that night, and it sent something electric through his skin. The plea turned into a low moan as Reno’s other hand slipped between Cloud’s thighs, and the Reno’s mouth twitched up into a wicked smile.

XXX

The first year was difficult. Reno got home and stuffed his notes on the Nibelheim Incident far away from prying eyes, which is exactly what he intended to do with his feelings on the matter as well. The card with Cloud’s number on it was harder to let go of but, eventually, it joined the Nibelheim file too. In that first year, mentions of Zack slid across his desk with a startling amount of frequency as Shinra quickly attempted to sweep the Nibelheim Incident under the rug. Sephiroth was never there. The town was never destroyed. Reno marvelled at the amount of money that was poured into that place to make it appear as though nothing had ever happened. Every survivor was rounded up. Paid off, or silenced in far less pleasant ways.

On occasion, he’d done the silencing personally.

After the second year, Reno spared very little thought towards Nibelheim, and even less to Zack and Cloud. Memories of Wall Market and the subsequent date occasionally resurfaced, but instead of feeling guilt, Reno just appreciated them for what they were. Memories. He’d made peace with his choice, knowing that Zack and Cloud were long dead and dissected somewhere in the bowels of Shinra Manor and there was nothing he could do about it. It was easier to pretend like he didn’t care than to admit how much Veld’s orders still bothered him even long after Veld himself had resigned.

Three years went by. The ongoing situation with the Support Materia and Veld’s recent exile had given Reno no time to spare for himself, let alone anyone else. As second in command of the Turks, he had a position to uphold.

“Reno.” Tseng stopped him in the hall one afternoon. “We’re having drinks in B3 tonight. Are you busy?”

Reno winked. “A _date_?” he said mockingly, fluttering his eyelashes. “Thought you’d _never_ ask.”

Tseng stared at him. “No. This is not a date. The Turks’ secondary unit is returning from Cosmo Canyon tonight and Rufus thought it would be a good morale boost to utilise the evening in celebration of their recent work.”

Reno stuck out his tongue. “Fine. I’ll be there. Sure I can’t tempt ya with the date, though? I’m a _real_ catch.”

Tseng chuckled and carried on past Reno in the hall. “No, thank you, Reno. Besides, I only date men of stature.”

Reno blushed and shouted after him: “The hell’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

B3 hadn’t been this full in months. Reno walked in carrying a crate of beers, Rude with another not far behind him, into a room full of white shirts and black suits. Rufus was by Tseng’s desk, the two chatting amicably with a glass of wine in their hands, Rufus looking sharp in a velvet three-piece. Cissnei bounced from group to group, her auburn hair turned almost red in the low light. Whoever had left Balto in charge of music must have regretted it as gentle classical melodies hummed through the room, soft enough to put even Maur to sleep where he sat talking to Juget.

Reno sat the beers down on the table and popped one open for himself, breaking into a smile as Alvis and Ruluf made across the room to greet him. Ruluf looked older than when Reno’d last saw him, and not just in the face, but in the way he carried himself, too. There was a set to his jaw and something in his eyes that made Reno wonder exactly what the other division had been up to in their time away. Alvis, on the other hand, was as goofy as ever.

“Reno, man, it’s been a while!” Reno reciprocated Alvis’s hug as Alvis threw his arms around him. “Geez, look at this bird’s nest!”

Reno swatted Alvis’s hands from his head and nodded, grinning. “Yo – you know the rules: don’t touch the hair.”

Rude came up behind them and offered Alvis and Ruluf a beer each. They accepted greedily, eyes lighting up to see Rude with the other crate. Reno shot Ruluf a sidelong glance and took a sip from his bottle.

“Good to see you,” Ruluf said, catching his eye. “Shit’s been wild recently. Feels weird to be back in Midgar.”

“It’s only one night.” Reno shrugged. “You’ll be gone again in no time.”

Alvis laughed and nudged Ruluf. “Hear that, Ru? Reno’s trying to get rid of us. Well, it won’t work, buddy. We’re your personal problem until six A.M. tomorrow, whether you like it or not.”

Reno and Rude both laughed. It felt good to have a night off; they hadn’t got the chance to in a while, and catching up with the other Turks was always a good time. Cissnei wandered over to their group to say hello, grabbing another beer from the open crate on the table. At first, they just chatted about what everyone had been assigned recently, but slowly, the conversation converged on when they’d last all been together in one place.

Reno tried not to let the new topic settle like lead in his veins.

“I remember,” Ruluf said, nodding. “Saw you there, Reno, but didn’t even get a chance to talk to you. Nibelheim was one hell of a mess.”

Cissnei nodded. “Worst shit Shinra’s pulled in years. I just remember thinking that this was it; they’d never be able to cover this one up.”

“I think it got to everyone,” Rude said slowly, glancing over at Tseng. “But there wasn’t anything we could do. Damage was already done. We were just the clean-up crew.”

“And it feels weird being here without Veld,” Alvis said. “I mean, I’m not saying he _should_ be here, but…”

Reno, slightly tipsy now and in no mood to contribute to this particular discussion, decided this was his que to exit. He put his empty bottle down on the table and slunk off to the men’s room, muttering to Rude where he was headed in case his partner thought he might not be coming back.

Shinra HQ was almost silent at night. The lights inside the building glistened off of the marble floors and ostentatious architecture and just about made Reno’s head hurt from the glare. He made his way along the corridor to where the toilets were and slipped inside, headed straight for the sinks. Cold water against his face was a welcome reprieve from the heat of B3 and he only stopped when he heard the door behind him reopen.

Reno glanced up, flicking the worst of the water off of his hands as Ruluf stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.

“Thought this was where you’d gone.” Ruluf’s tone was careful. “Everything alright?”

Reno nodded, turning around and leaning back against the sink. “Yeah. You?”

Ruluf shrugged and wandered over to the sinks, copying Reno and splashing water up onto his face. The cut of his dark hair made it impossible for him to avoid getting it wet as well, and he ended up just slicking it back against his skull.

_Hot steam. Soaked hair. Blue eyes._

Reno coughed and looked away. Of all times, now he had to think about Cloud. Figures.

“Still having trouble staying in line?”

Ruluf chuckled and patted his face dry. “I could ask you the same thing. How’ve things been? Still at Tseng’s beck and call?”

“Hardly.”

“One day you’ll replace him, you know. Should get some practise in at sucking up to Rufus while you’ve got the chance.”

Reno snorted. “You’re talkin’ like the old man’s gonna up and die at any minute. Besides, Tseng does enough ass kissing to make up for the rest of us. I doubt the VP’s in a hurry to replace him.” 

Ruluf nodded and took out a cigarette from his pocket. “Guess you’re right. Think this’ll set off the alarm?”

“Nah.” Reno shook his head. “That shit was outta here the moment they recruited me. It’s probably still wedged in the bottom of my desk drawer.”

Ruluf chuckled and pulled out a lighter, taking a deep inhale as the end of the cigarette glowed red. He passed it to Reno and Reno nodded his thanks, took a drag, and passed it back.

“Remember when were last hiding out in company toilets?”

Reno snickered. “Makin’ it sound like that shit was forgettable. I don’t think Cissnei ever recovered from see you stark ass naked. Turned redder than my damn hair.”

“That she did. So why we hiding out this time?”

“Who said I was hiding?”

“Reno.” Ruluf looked at him pointedly. “I think I know you better than that.”

Reno shrugged. “What if I just knew you’d follow me in here?”

“Keep talking like that and we’re gonna have a repeat of the Cissnei incident.”

“Maybe that’s what I’m here for.”

Ruluf leant off of the sinks and came to stand in front of Reno, the tips of his shoes in between Reno’s on the floor. Reno leant forwards, plucked the cigarette out of Ruluf’s hand, took a drag, and blew a cloud of smoke out into Ruluf’s face. Ruluf’s mouth curled up into a wilful smile.

“Well, I’m not in any hurry to get back.” Ruluf took a last inhale on the cigarette Reno passed him and flicked it into the trash. His eyes never left Reno’s. “Could stay a while.”

The tone invited challenge. But Reno was a little drunk, and he hadn’t been able to get the feeling of Cloud out of his mind since Ruluf had stepped into the bathroom. And tonight was not the night he gave that memory any of his time.

He leant off of the sinks and hooked both arms about Ruluf’s neck, pulling him down a little so that their lips could meet. Ruluf smiled against Reno’s mouth and kissed him back, hands going to the clip holding Reno’s jacket closed and popping it open.

“Someone’s needy,” Ruluf murmured between kisses. “Been a little bored since I’ve been gone?”

Reno moaned as Ruluf’s hand slid down the front of his trousers. “Less talking. More fucking.”

Ruluf obliged, dropping to wrap his hands under Reno’s thighs and lifting him up to sit back on the sink. Reno’s hands scrabbled to find the buttons of Ruluf’s jacket, and on failing to undo them, pulled hard enough in frustration to send buttons scattering across the bathroom floor.

Ruluf pulled away, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “Was that really necessary?”

Reno blushed. “Shut up, man.”

The gun holsters went next. Ruluf was known for his marksmanship and the pair of engraved handguns in their leather sheaths hit the floor with a dull thud. Reno’s jacket at least made it into an adjacent sink. Ruluf’s hands found Reno’s belt and undid it, tossing it aside, and slipped a hand inside Reno’s trousers. Reno buckled at the touch, stifling a moan by pressing his mouth hard into the side of Ruluf’s neck.

“Good?” Ruluf asked.

Reno nodded desperately, entwining his fingers through Ruluf’s damp hair and tugging hard as Ruluf worked calloused hands between his thighs.

This was far from the first time Reno and Ruluf had indulged in this arrangement, but it was the first time that Reno felt like he really needed it. Usually it was fun. Usually Reno had had other encounters in between. This time Reno was clinging to Ruluf like a life raft.

Every little brush of his fingertips, every nip of teeth on his neck – it wasn’t enough. Reno could feel his last fuck in every touch and it was killing him to be reminded he would never feel like that again. He searched for Cloud in each kiss, in each gasp, in each finger that worked its way across warm flesh. But he wasn’t there. Cloud maybe hadn’t been the most experienced sex of his life, but he’d been the first to treat Reno like he was worth a damn. Like he mattered. Like this wasn’t just a quick fuck and they’d move on with their lives afterwards as if nothing had never happened.

And now Cloud was dead.

He blinked stinging eyes, overcome with frustration, and felt Ruluf slow, his breath warm against Reno’s neck.

“Want me to stop?”

Reno shook his head and grit his teeth. “Don’t you _dare_.”

XXX

Reno hopped down off of the sink to collect his belt, a tenderness making it a little uneasy to walk. Ruluf watched him appreciatively as he pulled his clothes back on and Reno clipped his jacket shut.

“Who’re you thinking about?”

Reno glanced up. “Huh?”

“Reno.”

Reno blushed. “I, uh… sorry.”

“It’s fine. I had fun.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Reno wandered over and handed Ruluf his gun holster. “There was a guy… three years back.”

“Three years?” Ruluf whistled. “And you haven’t had anyone since then?”

Reno’s blush deepened. “Man, get off my case, would ya? I’ve been busy.”

“Right.” Ruluf grinned and buttoned up his shirt. “And who was this guy? Gotta be something else if he got _you_ hung up on him.”

“Nah, not really.” Reno inhaled. “He, uh... he died. At Nibelheim.”

Ruluf’s smile vanished. “No wonder you wanted to get outta there when you did. That what had you so worked up?”

“I wasn’t _worked up_ ,” Reno said defensively. “I just… I haven’t thought about him in a while. And when we… I…”

Ruluf nodded. “I get it.”

Reno let Ruluf lean down and kiss him. He kissed back, fingers finding the edges of Ruluf’s jacket and tugging gently. This was Reno. This was how he’d _always_ liked things. Minimal talking. Maximum enjoyment. Noncommittal and non-judgemental and no obligations to keep in touch.

So why couldn’t he get Cloud out of his head?

They returned to the Turks in B3, Reno doing his best to look out a spare jacket for Ruluf on their way back. The rest of the night would pass pleasantly enough, but Reno struggled to keep involved. He’d thought Ruluf would have made it _easier_ to forget about Cloud, not bring everything he’d been burying for three years back to the surface. Just his luck.

Rude snagged him as he re-entered and coughed discreetly. “Good break?”

“Just tell me what’s up, man,” Reno said with a sigh.

“Goggles.”

“Goggles?”

Reno reached up and realised his goggles had been pushed askew back into his hairline. He fixed them and looked at Rude with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Rude smirked. “Glad to have you back.”

Reno elbowed his partner in the ribs and Rude laughed as they returned to the rest of the group.

Ruluf and the other second unit left Midgar like they said they would at 6AM, but not without another, slightly more successful, trip to the men’s room. Reno, Rude, Tseng, and Rufus stood on the helicopter pad as dawn crested over the city and watched the chopper carrying the other Turks lift off into the air.

“You gonna miss Ruluf?” Rude asked as they turned to head back inside.

Reno snorted. “Not as much as Juget’s gonna miss you. Seriously, man, you gotta do something about that before it gets outta hand.”

“What can I say?” Rude winked. “Maybe I’m enjoying the attention.”

XXX

A few weeks would pass before Reno would have to confront his memories of Cloud again.

Tseng had just stepped out of the office to call the elevator, Rude and Reno not far behind. They were wrapping things up in B3 when Tseng’s tablet screen lit up, displaying an email notification.

Rude paused in the doorway, watched as Reno slunk over to Tseng’s desk, eyes narrowed.

“That ain’t for you.”

“I _know_ that,” Reno quipped. “Just give me a sec, would ya?”

He’d long since memorised Tseng’s sign in credentials and opened up the email, scanning its contents in full. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected – correspondence from Hojo was always a little graphic – but whatever it had been, he wasn’t expecting this. Reno’s stomach dropped. His hands immediately ball into fists.

_From:_ Hojo 

_To:_ Tseng

_Subject:_ Subjects CS.&ZF. – Experimental Failure

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tseng,

You asked me in Nibelheim to keep you updated as to the experimental proceedings on subjects CS. and ZF. recovered from the wreckage of the reactor on Mt. Nibel. Whilst I initially had high hopes for them as prime candidates for my Jenova Reunion Theory, it appears that after three years their bodies are beginning to fail due to excess amounts of Mako exposure. They displayed an interesting capacity for the Jenova cells, but unfortunately do not seem to be of any further use in replicating the S-strand type. As of next week, I will be placing both test subjects into a cryogenic sleep state and vacating the grounds of Shinra Manor. I expect to see an armed escort to accompany me back to Midgar.

H.

“What is it?” Rude asked, seeing the blatant shock on Reno’s face.

“It’s…” Reno struggled to articulate past the barrage of emotions that had just slammed into him like a two-by-four. “Zack. Cloud. They’re… alive.”

“ _What_?”

Rude strode over to the desk and scanned the email over Reno’s shoulder.

Reno should have been relieved. He _was_ relieved. But every other thought in Reno’s head told him he had failed. He’d given up. For three years he’d let himself believe that there would be nothing left of Zack and Cloud worth saving. He had no idea what state they were in, but if Hojo knew they might be conscious enough to need cryosleep to sedate them, then he could reason that they were intact. At least, their minds might be.

And he’d done nothing at all to help them.

“Man, screw this,” Reno said through gritted teeth, and stormed out of the room.

Tseng smoothly ducked Reno’s fist and it instead hit the glass panel encasing the escalator.

“Reno,” Rude said warningly, emerging from the room behind.

“What is it this time?” Tseng asked calmly, watching Reno pull his bloody knuckles out of the panel.

“You _knew_ ,” Reno said, stabbing a finger at Tseng accordingly. “Didn’tcha?”

It clicked immediately in Tseng’s mind. “Yes. I knew.”

“You let me believe they were _dead!_ You did _nothing!”_

“Yes. I did nothing. And would you like to hazard a guess as to why I did nothing?”

Reno watched Tseng, eyes narrowed, and when he didn’t respond, Tseng continued.

“Because I was following orders.”

Tseng dodged another punch Reno threw his way and held up a hand, indicating he wasn’t finished speaking. “Reno. You’re not listening. Disobeying orders would have meant dismissal, and then my hot-headed subordinate would be placed in a position that he would throw away in minutes because he couldn’t learn when to bite his tongue – or worse, stay his hand. It wasn’t much, but I knew I could ask Hojo to keep tabs on their progress for me without arousing much suspicion. So, yes, I knew they were alive. And I knew when Hojo had had his fun, he would discard them like all his other pets. And I knew that then would be our best chance.”

Reno’s expression dropped. He glanced at Rude, who looked equally surprised.

Tseng nodded. “You are correct that I was not willing to risk my position for them. But I knew I wouldn’t have to, if they held out for long enough. Protocol dictates that the Turks cannot become involved in another department’s case unless on direct orders from a superior officer, or if–”

“–The case risks coming into the public eye,” Reno finished for him, slowly catching on.

“Exactly. And how might the citizens of Midgar react if they discovered the experimental procedures that Shinra had allowed on one of their 1st Class SOLDIERs?”

“So what’re you saying?” Reno took a step forward. “We going after them?”

“No. Officially, I can’t sanction a mission out to Nibelheim without running it by the President first. But if some _escaped_ experiments were to approach Midgar and endanger the general public’s image of Shinra, then I would be granted permission to retrieve said experiments, and use whatever means at my disposal to do so.”

The elevator dinged to a halt in the silence, its doors sliding open and scattering broken glass across the floor. Reno held Tseng’s steely gaze for a beat and then Tseng stepped into the elevator. He looked at Rude, and said resignedly before the doors closed:

“Don’t let him do anything that I’ll come to regret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! glad y'all are enjoying the fic so far, i really appreciate all the lovely comments! fun fact: i started writing this fic at the end of may/beginning of june, and two days ago i hit 50k. so there's a lot more to upload but i'm trying to take my time in case i have to go back and make little amendments. anyway, thanks again for the kind words, and as always feedback is much appreciated!


	3. Echoes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You know I tried to make it vanish, I just want to make it vanish,  
> But the notes of an old mistake still ring louder every day."  
> – Echoes of You, Mariannas Trench

The door to the balcony opened and Reno stepped out holding a cold bottle of beer, dressed in nothing but an oversized tee he’d found on slung over the shower rail. Cloud sat on the floor in Reno’s shirt and a pair of slacks, watching the rain pouring down off of the guttering to the floors below. Reno joined him and fumbled a slightly soggy cigarette from the packet in his hand, lit it with a matchbook he’d pinched from Cloud’s dresser, and took a deep drag as thunder rolled across the sky. 

“Betcha never fucked a Turk before, huh,” Reno said, sipping his beer.

“Nope.”

Cloud made room for Reno as he moved to lie his head down on his lap. It was automatic, really; Reno did it with Rude when they were in the rec room and Rude had nabbed the couch, and didn’t realise it might be an issue until he felt Cloud tense under where he’d lain his head. He let Cloud adjust, held back any witty comments that might have scared him away, and after a moment Reno felt Cloud begin to slowly run his fingers through the loose red hair now spilling across his stomach. They relaxed into it, and Reno briefly closed his eyes. This was too nice. It was sappy and stupid and _good_ and he _liked_ it, and that was kinda freaking him out. Fucking like your life depended on it was one thing, but _staying_? That wasn’t Reno’s style.

“Bet you’ve slept with a Trooper before, though.”

Reno snorted. “Like hell I have. Listen, man, this is a one-time thing. I’ve hooked up 1st Class SOLDIERs, okay? You’re not exactly special.”

Cloud did his best to disguise his disappointment. “Part of the job?”

Reno shrugged and took another drink. “ _Perks_ of the job, more like. Sometimes you’re beating up Materia thieves in Kalm, and others, you’re playing spin the bottle with the 1st Classers in Rufus’s not-so-secret-secret lounge. Now _that_ was a fun night. Shoulda seen the look on Sephiroth’s face when the bottle landed on him. Ha!” Reno chuckled and shook his head. “Priceless.”

Cloud’s eyes went comically wide. “You – you _kissed_ Sephiroth? THE Sephiroth?!”

“Yup.” Reno took a slow drag on the cigarette.

“Well?!” Cloud demanded, awestruck. “What was it like?”

“Like making out with a slab of fucking granite. The man has _zero_ social skills, and he’s on a negative scale in the smooching department.”

Cloud had the decency to try and cover his laugh. “So what you’re saying is… I’m a better kisser than Sephiroth?”

“This _bottle_ is a better kisser than Sephiroth. But…” Reno looked away, cheeks flush red. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Cloud leant down and kissed Reno delicately, letting the moment linger before he pulled away. Reno made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat and tried to pretend it didn’t make his heart leap around in his chest.

“Cut it out, would ya? Acting like we’re old and married and shit.”

Cloud chuckled and took a drink. They sat for a while like that, listening to the rain, until Reno’s cigarette had burned down to little but ash. He flicked it away and sipped his beer, letting the haze of alcohol filter in until the edges of the raindrops grew soft and the noise of the downpour only registered as a sort of white noise in the back of his mind. His body ached from the day’s work. Cloud had patched up the cut on his cheek with a band aid, despite Reno’s instance that it was nothing. He hated that. Being cared for. Babied. But when it was Cloud, he hadn’t seemed able to put up much of a fight.

“Used to dream big, ya know,” he said absently, passing Cloud their second round of beers. “Thought I’d make it out of this shithole someday. But it turns out it’s just as bad out there as it is in here.”

“It’s not so bad in Midgar,” Cloud said gently. “I mean, it’s here that I can make a difference. Out there, there’s so much… nothingness. Just swallows you up.”

“Oh, yeah? And what difference you makin’ in Midgar?”

Cloud stared off, avoiding Reno’s gaze. “I’m gonna be a SOLDIER. 1st Class.”

Reno burst out laughing. “Yeah, _sure_ you are, loverboy.”

“I mean it! I’m gonna train as hard as I can. Be like Sephiroth someday. _Better_ than Sephiroth. And when I go home to Nibelheim, everyone’s gonna know my name.”

Reno’s mirth vanished and he winced to hear the sincerity in Cloud’s voice. Kid really thought he had a chance. Reno had seen so many recruits come and go. He’d never bothered to remember their names or faces, because Troopers were Shinra’s cannon fodder; first line of defence, and first to go down.

He tried not to let that thought linger too long.

“Shinra uses people, man,” Reno said quietly. “Takes whatever they’ve got to give and then when they ain’t got shit left, they just throw them away.”

“You don’t really believe that.” Cloud’s sincerity wavered. “If you did, you wouldn’t work for them.”

“And yet here I am.”

“But… but Shinra is _helping_ people. We keep them safe. Give them electricity to power their homes. Give them jobs to feed their families.”

“Sure.” Reno shrugged. “And then we put everyone who can’t afford our protection and our electricity under a huge slab of metal so the posh tits can’t see ‘em, call it mercy, and pretend like there ain’t a wealth divide in this city as wide as Cosmo fucking Canyon.”

Cloud grew very quiet, and Reno felt the Trooper’s hand in his hair slow. “If you really think that, then why are you still here?”

Reno had asked himself this question too many times over the years. But the answer came back the same every time:

“’Cause if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Reno paused, let the statement sit a moment. “And if we’re all headed to hell in a handbasket, I’d rather have a bottle of champagne in one hand and a nice chunk of gil in the other than go through life with nothin’ at all.”

“But you have a chance to make a real difference.” The earnestness in Cloud’s voice was like a knife in Reno’s gut. “You’re a Turk! That _means_ something.”

“Right,” Reno sneered. “Let’s not sugar coat it, sweetheart: I’m a glorified hitman. You think it’s all smiles and sunshine topside, do ya? Well, newsflash: I’ve seen the worst of what this city has to offer. Hell, I’ve _been_ the worst. And I’m telling ya, workin’ under Shinra might not be the best job I coulda taken, but I’ll be damned if it ain’t the safest.”

There was a vehemence to Reno’s words that killed whatever Cloud was going to say next. A tension had slipped into the conversation, and Cloud had all but balled his fist in the ends of Reno’s hair. Reno sighed and looked away, taking out his last cigarette and lighting it. Anything to ignore those puppy dog eyes boring a hole through his heart.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Reno nodded, taking a drag. “How could ya? You’re just a small-town kid with the city in your eyes. Seen a million come and go.”

Cloud flinched, and Reno felt it. Why couldn’t he just have kept his stupid mouth shut? The one good thing he’d had in a long time and he was locking it out. Drive them away with your nastiness and maybe they’d realise you weren’t worth loving before they got in too deep to get out clean.

“I’m not going anywhere. You’ll see.”

Reno looked up. Cloud’s expression was serious, and he moved the hand from Reno’s hair to brush the sides of his face. Something fluttered in his chest, delicate and easily broken.

“I’m gonna be a SOLDIER. I don’t care how long it takes. And when I do, I’m gonna fix this city. Fix Shinra. Fix everything.”

And Reno wanted to laugh and tell him that he was wrong, but Cloud’s expression made the laugh snag in his throat. He truly, genuinely believed it. This idiot honestly thought he could change the world by getting promoted. It was ridiculous. A part of Reno wanted to slap him and tell him to look around, that it wasn’t that easy, it would never _be_ that easy, that he didn’t have a chance in hell. But it was silenced in its entirety by that look on Cloud’s face, and that feeling in his chest that was making it harder and harder to breathe.

“Sure you will,” he said thickly. “But I’ll hold ya to that.”

Cloud nodded. “It’s a promise.”

Reno sat up and kissed him, sliding his fingers under Cloud’s jaw into the downy scruff at the nape of his neck and entangling them there. It was slow and shameless and he closed his eyes because they were beginning to sting. He felt Cloud’s hand drop to his waist to pull him in closer, and his other hand parted the thick red hair to trace the side of his jaw. And Reno kept kissing, never quickening the pace, never pulling away, because he was terrified that if he did, then Cloud might see just how fragile he was.

XXX

The rhythmic whir of the helicopter blades did little to soothe Reno’s erratic heart as they swept in low to the south of Nibelheim. Rude landed them in the shadows of a hill and Reno paused a moment in his chair, taking out that little square of card with Cloud’s number on it from his pocket again and thumbing the edges. Rude watched him carefully. It had been a while since the card had seen the light of day, but it was the first thing Reno had reached for on learning that Zack and Cloud might still be alive. He’d got as far as punching a few of the numbers into his phone a couple of times before tossing it aside in frustration, knowing that even if he did call, there would be no answer.

After a beat Reno stuffed the card back into his pocket and climbed out of his seat, checking his gear over a final time before pulling open the door of the chopper.

“Reno.”

Reno looked up. “Yo.”

“Be careful, alright? I know this is important. Important to me, too, but…”

Reno chuckled. “Now dontcha be going soft on me, Rude. I’ll be fine.”

He mock-saluted his partner, slunk out of the chopper, and disappeared into the night. Rude leant back in his chair and checked his comms. It was no wonder Tseng had partnered them together. Rude often considered how much more trouble Reno might get into if Rude wasn’t always there to bail him out.

Reno made it into Nibelheim, a dark shape against a darker landscape. Stealth wasn’t really his thing. Fighting in through the front door with his nightstick to hand was more Reno’s style, but Turk work sometimes called for discretion, so he had learned to adapt. Finding Shinra Manor wasn’t hard, but avoiding the eyes of Shinra’s actors were, not to mention the sizeable force of Troopers patrolling the town. He pulled his hood up tighter around his face and secured the mask over his nose and mouth. If he got caught, they were done for.

Hojo’s lab was buried deep beneath the Manor, that, he knew for certain. Six hours spent scanning blueprints stolen from the records room in Shinra HQ meant that Reno had near enough memorised every corridor, every secret passage, and every vent in the building that he would have to take to reach it.

Reno made his way down beneath Shinra Manor, not surprised to find the building mostly deserted, aside from a few scattered scientific papers that attested to one, maybe two other researchers in the vicinity. When he got closer to where Zack and Cloud were being held, he could feel his breathing start to quicken. Was it worse to hope that they were alright? Should he prepare for seeing mangled little bodies, suspended in green goo?

He dropped down out of the vents above cryogenic storage, muffling his landing as best he could by aiming for a discarded lab coat. Rows and rows of glass containers lined the walls. Even with Hojo long gone on his return journey to Midgar, electricity hummed through the building, illuminating tubes of bubbling liquids and cannisters containing raw Mako. Reno was no stranger to Hojo’s lab back at Shinra HQ, but this one felt different. It was eerie and dark and altogether unsettling, made worse by the abandoned apparatus scattered across the desks. It was like everything in here had simply been left to die.

Reno set off between the storage pods, scanning each one as he went. Most were empty, and he picked up the pace, ditching stealth in his desperation to find what he’d came here for. This was his chance. Fix the mistake that weighed on all the Turks’ shoulders since the day that Nibelheim burned. Clear a conscience that was beginning to get muddled, no matter how hard he’d tried to in the past to keep it clean.

Memories flitted through Reno’s mind as he broke out into a sprint. Music under the lights in Sector 5. The roar of the motorcycle engine. Cloud, cheeks flushed, curled against stark white sheets.

His pace slowed to a halt as he turned the corner and felt his heart drop. There was Zack in one pod, looking no different than he did three years ago, and… Cloud, in the other. Reno’s breath hitched in his throat. His hair was a bit longer. His face was thinner. But it was him. No extra eyes or extra limbs or awful mutations or anything other than _Cloud_.

Reno stepped forwards in front of the pods, each body suspended in a thick stream of Mako-infused liquids. He just stared for a long minute, glancing between their faces, and then eventually settling back on Cloud’s. He’s alive, Reno kept telling himself. He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s _alive_. It was one thing reading it in an email from a known sociopath. It was another seeing Cloud’s face, up close, every flutter of movement behind his eyelids, every twitch in his fingertips as he slept.

One hand absently went to his pocket and curled about the square of white card.

Rude’s voice through his earpiece snapped him from his thoughts. _“Reno, you alright?”_

“Yeah,” he answered, taking a step back from the pods. “I found ‘em.”

_“Good. Now hurry up get your ass outta there.”_

Reno glanced around, searching for a release button on the containment units. Between them he spotted Zack’s sword and hauled it out, knowing that Zack would need it soon, and rested it on the floor. Another sweep of the vicinity and he spotted a yellow lever on a console to the left. Reno pulled it down and stepped back, watching as the pods drained of liquid and their doors rolled back with a hiss. 

Reno leapt out of the way as Zack’s eyes shot open and he stumbled out, swinging a fist that very narrowly missed connecting with the side of Reno’s head.

“You son of a _bitch!”_

Reno ducked another punch, and missed seeing Zack’s foot coming up towards him with alarming speed. He crumpled forwards with a yelp of pain, bracing himself on one knee and clutching his chest.

“The _hell_ , man,” Reno wheezed, ripping off his mask to better breathe. “This how you thank the cavalry?”

Zack grabbed the Buster Sword from where Reno had laid it down on the floor and pointed it at Reno’s head. “The cavalry? Where the fuck was the _cavalry_ when Shinra decided we were gonna be Professor Hojo’s next science project?”

Reno had never even seen Zack get mad before. It was unnerving. He was a 1st Class SOLIDER hopped up on enough Mako and sheer rage to kill Reno three times over if the notion landed. This hit home shortly after Reno realised that after everything Shinra had put Zack through, they were now no longer anywhere near being on sociable terms.

Zack took a threatening step forwards, grazing the edge of the Buster Sword under Reno’s chin, and Reno held up both hands submissively.

“Hey, just – just take it easy, man,” he said placatingly. “I ain’t here for a beating. I – I’m trying to help. Really.”

A tense beat passed. Zack regarded the Turk in front of him. Reno waited, body tensed, but time drew on and another hit never came. Reno decided to take his chances, and with hands still out front, slowly got back to his feet. Zack lowered the sword, but kept it pointed in Reno’s direction.

“I – Listen, I know you’re pissed, but we don’t have much time. You gotta get out of here, head for Midgar. Once you reach the city, we can help, okay?”

Zack took a step back. “Give me one reason I should trust anything you have to say.”

Reno opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. Zack was right. He had no reason to trust Reno at all. The Turks had done nothing while Hojo had gone to town on them for three years. _Shinra_ had done nothing. There had been no rescue, not even an attempt, before now. How must it have felt to realise that the people who you’d trusted to protect you had sold you out without a second thought?

Reno wasn’t forced to give an answer, however, as a quiet groan from the pods behind them made them remember that Zack wasn’t the only person in the room he’d come to rescue.

Zack whipped around at the noise. “Shit, _Cloud_.”

Reno looked up to where Cloud had crumpled into the bottom of the empty tank and made to help carry him, but froze when he felt the point of the Buster Sword at his chest.

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” Zack warned, pressing the blade into Reno’s shirt. “Don’t even _think_ about laying a _finger_ on him.”

Reno nodded quickly, reassuringly. “Yeah, man, whatever you say.”

Zack dropped the sword and took a few steps back, putting it down only to help Cloud out of the pod. Cloud was groggy and disorientated, eyelids fluttering as Zack slung an arm around his waist. Reno scanned over both of them quickly; clothes drenched in liquid, hair slicked back against their skulls. Zack’s eyes almost glowed with Mako. But they were unhurt. No scalpel scars; no incisions of any kind, or as far as Reno could tell at first glance.

Zack picked the Buster Sword back up and gestured to the exit. “This the way out?”

Reno nodded. “Yeah. Like I said–”

“Midgar.” Zack narrowed his eyes. “Any chance you could help a guy get there?”

“No deal. Sorry, man. Tseng says–”

Zack interrupted him again. “Right.”

Reno hovered a second longer, holding Zack’s gaze. “Be, uh, careful, out there. The place is crawling with Shinra Troopers.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Zack said scathingly.

Reno watched Zack help Cloud up and out of the door at the end of the passage before radioing Rude.

_“You okay?”_

“Yeah,” Reno lied. “I’m headed out now.”

Dawn had long since broken by the time Reno climbed back into the helicopter. As Rude lifted them into the air, Reno searched the town below for the figures of Zack and Cloud. He didn’t find them.

“You tell them about Midgar?” Rude asked.

“Mhm.”

Rude nodded. “They’ll be alright. Zack’s a tough kid.”

Reno looked away and thumbed the card in his pocket. “Yeah. You got that right.”

XXX

Reno snubbed out his last cigarette and they both finished off their third round of beers. The rain hadn’t lessened any, but the real storm had passed, taking its rolls of thunder and flashes of lightning far off into the wilds beyond Midgar. Any alcohol that had subsided in their earlier fight had quickly resurfaced, and everything had gone back to being glimmeringly indistinct. There was a comfortable closeness, one that was made easier by the numbness in their bones.

Reno got clumsily to his feet and held out a hand. Cloud regarded it for a moment and then took it. As he stood, they bumped gently together, and Reno leant forwards, ghosting his lips across Cloud’s cheek. Cloud smiled and leant back, letting Reno trail gossamer kisses down his jaw and neck, fingers finding the half-done buttons of his shirt.

“The rain never let up,” Cloud said breathily, eyes half-lidded, winding his arms about Reno’s waist.

“Mhmm.” Reno glanced up. “And you’re wearing my clothes.”

“Yeah. Maybe you should stay.”

“That so?”

“Wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.”

It was different, somehow; something had changed. The fervour was there but it wasn’t the same breed. Each hitched breath and tensed muscle were amplified, despite the veil of alcohol that turned every motion into an imitation of itself. Reno wouldn’t be able to put his finger on what that something was until much later, but would come to realise that it was the hunger of someone who had tasted fondness for the first time, and knew that this time would be their last.

They left the bottles out on the balcony, forgotten. Everything was easy and warm and so agonizingly tender. The oversized tee joined the other discarded clothes on the floor, and the slacks shortly after. The shirt stayed but the buttons didn’t, and a part of Reno was grateful to feel the soft linen of a bed at last.

It was warm and dark in Cloud’s apartment, the light of the streetlamps shining beyond the window muddled by the falling rain. Cloud arched back into the pillows, Reno’s lips ghosting across his breastbone. A searching hand found a fistful of red hair and grasped wantonly. The feeling of soft sheets slid across Reno’s thighs. At some point the shirt disappeared, too, although Reno didn’t remember when. For once in his godforsaken life, he abandoned his selfishness for the night.

Somewhere, the sun had begun to crest the horizon. Reno lay on his back, hands interlocked behind his head, staring at a little smudge of god knew what on the ceiling above him. He could feel Cloud watching him from the adjacent pillow, blue eyes half-lidded with complacency and no little amount of fatigue.

“Should get some sleep,” Reno muttered. “You got a shift tomorrow?”

Cloud shook his head. “I’m not tired.”

Reno turned to look at him. “Liar.”

Cloud scooted across the pillow and kissed him quick. If Reno had known it would have been for the last time, he would have kissed back harder. When he next looked back, Cloud was fast asleep.

Reno took a little longer to drift off. The booze was dragging down his eyelids but he fought it for a while, stretching against the sheets, and wondered, not for the first time that night, why this one in particular made it such agony to leave. 

XXX

A week went by after the Nibelheim rescue. Two. After a month, Reno gave up hope of hearing news about Zack and Cloud. Sure, they’d been a bit groggy coming out of cryo, but who wouldn’t be? Besides, if they were taking this long, Reno figured that Zack hadn’t trusted him enough to return to Midgar after all. They were probably halfway to Costa del Sol by now with no plans to ever look back.

_Good for them_ , he thought, and meant it. Reno was just relieved just to have found them. It was a huge weight off his shoulders knowing that Zack and Cloud were anywhere but Hojo’s lab. And if they got far enough away, Shinra would most likely give up the search for them eventually. If they didn’t mind looking over their shoulders for the next few years, they could live quite nice lives somewhere far from the President’s influence. Would never even have to lay eyes on Midgar again.

But there was a small part of Reno that still wondered if he might get to see them again. How would that go? Would Zack still want to put a hole through his head with his fist? Or would there be an understanding between them? Reno knew he’d never get their forgiveness. A part of him didn’t want it. He was just glad to have settled his conscience on the matter. They were free now, and that’s what mattered. The rest was up to them.

Tseng wandered over to Reno’s desk where Reno was slumped over, doodling a helicopter on the back of his report with one hand, and sipping a coffee with the other. Tseng slapped a file down on top of the doodle and Reno glared at him.

“The hell is this?”

“Something to keep you occupied.”

Reno stared down at the open file. The picture of a young woman with vibrant green eyes stared back at him.

“What am I supposed to want with Zack’s Sector 5 squeeze?”

“That,” Tseng said pointedly, “is Aerith Gainsborough. Last of the Ancients.”

Reno raised an eyebrow, slowly putting two and two together. “You’re tellin’ me that girl you’ve been creeping on down in the slums for years is the same girl that Fair’d been banging? She’s an _Ancient_?”

Tseng visibly stiffened. “Reno, Veld and I agreed I would be assigned to her case the moment she and her mother left Hojo’s laboratory. I was not ‘creeping’ on her, as you so gracelessly put it.”

“Huh. Sounds like something a real creep would say.”

Tseng tried valiantly not to hit Reno with anything. “You may think what you like, but all opinions aside, I would like you to keep an eye on Aerith for me.”

At this, Reno perked up. “Why? What’s she gotta do with me?”

“I thought it would be a good use of your time. Aerith has stumbled into trouble quite a few times in the slums, and I need someone I can trust to look after her while I am occupied elsewhere.”

“’Elsewhere’, huh?” Reno said unctuously. “That what we’re calling Rufus now?”

Tseng looked utterly exasperated. “Take Rude and keep tabs on Aerith. Try not to interfere with her daily business, unless it becomes in any way dangerous. We can’t afford to lose her.”

“Does she really mean that much to ya?”

Tseng narrowed his eyes. “She is a valuable research specimen. But she must come willingly. Under no circumstances are you to force her to return, or harm her in any way. Understood?”

Reno’s skin crawled. _Specimen_. “Sure thing, man. Whatever you say.”

When Reno and Rude arrived in Sector 5, night was sweeping in. A warm orange glow worked its way beneath the plate from the setting sun and illuminated all the roofs in gold. Reno lit a cigarette and took a few drags as he and Rude made for Aerith’s house in the gathering gloom.

“This is bullshit, man,” Reno muttered, blowing out a cloud of smoke. “Why’s Tseng stuck us on babysitting duty?”

“The Cetra are important to Shrina,” Rude answered, matter-of-factly.

“I know that, dumbass. What I’m saying is why’s Tseng giving us the Gainsborough case when he’s always been so sweet on her himself?”

“Maybe he’s asking for a little bit of faith, you know. Goes both ways.”

Reno fell silent, thinking back to what Tseng had told him at Shinra HQ. _I need someone I can trust to look after her_. Dammit, he hated when Rude was right.

They came up the path alongside the Leaf House, an orphanage in the Sector 5 slums. As the children went inside for the night, the doors closed, and left standing outside was a girl in a pink dress, her hair done up in a matching ribbon.

Reno stared from the shadows of the tunnel he and Rude lingered in. This was Tseng’s Ancient? The one that was supposed to lead Shrina to the ‘promised land’? Somehow, he expected her to be more serious. But there she was, arranging flowers in a vase on a table with the warmest smile on her face, despite being all by her lonesome.

Well, not entirely.

She looked up and narrowed her eyes, the smile turning into something more mischievous. Reno nudged Rude, realising they’d been spotted. They stepped out of the tunnel in time to meet Aerith as she crossed the lot.

“Oh! Hello, Rude!” She winked. “I remember you. I hope your girlfriend liked the flowers!”

Reno raised an eyebrow and Rude blushed, coughing to hide his embarrassment.

“We’re, uh, not together anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Aerith said brightly. Wholly unfazed, she turned to Reno. “Now let me guess… you must be Reno. Tseng told me a lot about you. About both of you, actually.

Reno rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “Well, we don’t mean to bother ya, princess, but Tseng’s put us on your detail for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh?” She quirked her head, genuinely surprised. “Nothing’s happened to Tseng, has it?”

Reno stared. Why did she care about what happened to Tseng?

“Tseng is fine, Aerith,” Rude answered measuredly. “But it’s getting late. Can we, uh, see you home?”

Aerith smiled. “Sure you can! Let me just grab my basket.”

She moved away to collect a small wicker basket filled with flowers and Reno used the opportunity to shoot Rude a confused glance. Aerith was nothing like he’d expected. At all.

They walked together back to Aerith’s home, Reno and Rude lagging a little behind. Eventually Aerith sighed and fell back to walk between them.

“So, if you guys are my new bodyguards, I think we should get to know each other!” she chirped. “Who wants to go first?”

Reno glared at her. “We ain’t your bodyguards.”

“Okay… how about my boyfriends?” she teased.

Reno almost inhaled his cigarette. “Nope, I think I prefer bodyguards.”

Aerith laughed. “Thought you might.”

“Just don’t be calling me that in front of anybody.”

“Ooh,” Aerith said playfully. “Got a bad-boy reputation to uphold, do we?”

“He does,” Rude said before Reno could answer, and Aerith laughed.

Reno grumbled and looked away. The girl’s good mood was a little infectious, and while he wanted to be annoyed at her teasing, he was struggling to muster up any sort of real animosity towards her at all.

“So where do you two live?” Aerith asked. “On the upper plate?”

Rude hesitated, but Reno nodded, trying to regain a little control over the conversation. “Yeah.”

“Hmm….” Aerith pondered. “I wonder what it’s like to be able to see the sky every day. Don’t laugh, but I get a little worried about not being able to see the plate above me. All that sky… there’s so _much_ of it. You could just disappear.”

_Out there, there’s so much… nothingness._

_Just swallows you up._

Reno winced. “S-So an Ancient, huh?” he said, trying desperately to distract himself from the sudden memory that had resurfaced.

Aerith looked amused. “Yup. I get to meet a lot of new people. Mostly who want to kill or kidnap me. I wonder which one you guys are?”

Reno couldn’t figure out this girl at all. He wasn’t good with women anyway, but this one in particular was a real enigma. First, she introduces herself to two strangers who work for Shinra, who on a whole is not an organisation she’s on friendly terms with. Then she asks if Tseng, the man assigned to keep tabs on her day and night, is alright. And now she’s joking about being kidnapped? Just _what_ was going on with her?

“Neither.” Reno said carefully, taking a drag. “We’re here to make sure those things don’t happen to ya.”

“Right,” Aerith said, unconvinced. “You know, you shouldn’t smoke.”

“We’re all gonna die at some point, princess.”

“I _know_ that, but it isn’t good for the planet.”

“The – what?”

“The planet. Going back to the lifestream with all that tar in your lungs? It doesn’t do her any favours, you know.”

Reno glanced at Rude. “Right. Well, this evening is just getting weirder and weirder. We almost at your place?”

_Your place nearby?_

“It’s just around the corner,” Aerith said. “My mom should be home. You want to meet her?”

Reno choked. “Yeah, that’s gonna be a hard pass.”

Aerith laughed. “Thought not. Not to worry! It’s not far now.”

They rounded the bend in the passage and it opened out onto a wide-open lot. Reno was instantly struck by the smell of flowers, and a quick scan of his surroundings told him they were _everywhere_. Growing out of every outcropping of rock, perched high on crumbling ledges, and all surrounding these little bridges crossing pools of water running from a waterfall nearby. Fireflies glowed in the dark, wandering lazily from flower to flower. What the hell was all this? He hadn’t seen this much green in… well, ever, really.

“I thought flowers didn’t grow in Midgar anymore,” Reno murmured, a little awestruck. Even Rude looked amazed.

“They don’t,” Aerith said, skipping ahead. “Only here. And in the church, of course.”

Something about this girl was unique. Reno, as unaccustomed to it as he was, would go as far to say magical. If she lived here, and here was one of the only places where flowers grew, then that made her magic in his eyes.

They made it to Aerith’s front door. The lights were on inside, and Reno waited on the porch while Rude went in with Aerith to introduce them to her mother, Elmyra. He took a final drag on the cigarette and then crushed the last of it under his heel. Then, almost without thinking about it, he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out the card with Cloud’s number on it. He stared at it for a long while. The edges had softened now and the ink of the first three numbers had run. Fingerprints marked the bottom right corner.

Reno held onto the card and glanced up, drinking in the rare tranquillity of his surroundings. He didn’t like to admit it, but there was a peace around Aerith’s house that got under his skin. He could stay here a while. It would be easy.

_Maybe you should stay._

There it was again. Another little flash from that night, another little tug in his chest. Reno looked around and then back down at the card, trying not to panic. Was it Aerith? Or the flowers? He sounded crazy. Maybe he was. But he’d got so good at burying things it was just strange that so many should resurface, and in such a short space of time.

“Magic,” Reno muttered to himself. “Blame it on magic.”

“Blame what on magic?”

Reno started and fumbled the card back into his pocket as he turned to see Aerith closing the front door silently behind her. She was still smiling, but there was a sadness about it now. Beyond the glass panes in the door, the blurry image of Rude sat down at Elmyra’s kitchen table and accepted a cup of tea.

“Nothing,” Reno said quickly.

“Mhm, not nothing.” Aerith took a few steps closer to him and leant back against the wooden wall of the house. “You’re hurting. Even I can see that.”

“Yeah?” Reno said, somewhat sarcastically, in an effort to cover up his immediate unease. “How so?”

Aerith narrowed her eyes. “You’ve lost someone. You want to find them again. That about right?”

A part of Reno wanted to laugh her comment away, mock her for what could be an obvious social blunder. But there was that feeling again. This place. That girl. And whatever witty retort he’d had snagged in his throat.

Magic. Blame it on magic.

Aerith nodded, seeing the look on Reno’s face. “Aha! I thought so. What were they like?”

Reno hesitated. “I…” he looked away, a flush rising to his cheeks. The words kept catching in his throat, not quite making it out. “Forget it.”

Aerith stared at Reno for a beat and then looked away. They stood in silence for a moment, Reno racing to catch his thoughts before they spiralled down a rabbit hole he didn’t want to explore. When Aerith spoke again, breaking that silence, her tone had changed. Reno glanced over. Her shoulders sagged a little, and the smile faltered.

“You know, I’ve lost someone too. He was in SOLDIER. Made 1st Class. I’ve asked Tseng a million times, but he won’t tell me what’s going on. I give Tseng a letter every time I see him, to pass onto him, but… I get the feeling they go unread. I keep thinking I’ll see him in the marketplace one day. Or he’ll be back in my church, lying on my flowers. He bought me this ribbon, you know.” She pointed at the one holding back her hair. “And I know he’s not gone, just… missing. But that doesn’t mean it hurts any less.”

Reno stared at her. _Zack_ , he thought. _She’s talking about Zack_. So Tseng never told her. Not once, in all the times he’d visited since Nibelheim, had he broken protocol to comfort this girl who’d lost her boyfriend without a single word. Without even a goodbye.

“He’ll come back.”

The words were out of Reno’s mouth before he could think them through. Aerith whipped round to face him, eyes wide and sincere.

“You really think so?”

Reno nodded slowly, silently cursing his own stupidity. “Sure.”

“But… you don’t _know_.”

“No,” he admitted. “But I wanna believe that. That he’ll come back. They both will.”

Before Aerith could reply, the door to the house swung open and Rude stepped out onto the porch. He straightened up his suit and then looked at Reno and nodded.

“Well, that’s my cue,” Reno said, pushing off of the wall and walking over to join his partner. “See ya around, princess.”

Aerith nodded and watched the pair of them go. Reno could feel her eyes on the back of his skull right up until they turned into the passage at the end of the road and out of sight.

He’d end up hanging around Sector 5 more than he’d care to admit in the ten months that followed. If Rude wasn’t here, Reno was, but more often than not they came together, and only if Tseng was otherwise occupied. Only once or twice did Aerith get herself into any real trouble, and it was mostly down by the scrapyards where the kids played. Monsters, Reno didn’t mind so much. And Aerith was always very polite, and very teasing, and he’d taken a shine to her, although not that he’d ever admit it. She was good company. She never asked too many questions, and somehow she knew which subjects to avoid. She asked him a few more times about Zack, but never by name. And Reno gave the same answer each time as he’d given her before.

He’ll come back.

And Reno never realised that he’d started lying to her until it was too late.


	4. Teeth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand,   
> You're looking at me like you don't know who I am.  
> Blood on my shirt, heart in my hand, still beating."  
> – Teeth, 5 Seconds of Summer

The call came unexpectedly – it had been almost a year, after all. Reno was stepping out of the office for a bit to catch some fresh air on the roof when he froze, fingers around the handle of the fire escape, hearing Tseng’s voice from outside.

“The army is mobilising. Find the targets before they do.”

A familiar woman’s voice. “Understood.”

Cissnei? When had she got back from Gongaga? And the _army_? Reno frowned and pressed himself tighter to the gap in the door to better listen.

“I want them alive, you hear me?” Tseng’s tone did not assume that there was margin for error. “You won’t fail me again. You are going to save Zack’s life.”

Reno’s stomach dropped. _Zack?_ Then that meant…

“Of course.” Cissnei sounded confident, but whatever she said next was lost in the thump of helicopter blades as the engine whirred into life.

Reno cracked the door open and watched Cissnei turn away from Tseng towards the chopper, pulling her hair back out of her face as it was whipped about by the blades. Tseng raised his voice as she walked away.

“Help them, Cissnei.” His tone softened. “I… have letters for Zack. Eighty-eight of them.”

Cissnei saluted and hopped into the chopper. Reno waited until it had lifted into the air before fully opening the door and striding out across the landing pad. Tseng looked only marginally surprised to see him.

“The hell, Tseng?” Reno said, pointing to the retreating copter. “What’s going on?”

Tseng sighed. “There are reports of a security threat outside the eastern wall; an altercation involving an ex-SOLDIER. It seems that Zack and Cloud have made it back to Midgar.”

Reno nodded, serious. “We heading out?”

“Yes. Priority S retrieval mission. I’ve sent Cissnei on ahead to scout the area.”

“Cissnei, huh?” Reno narrowed his eyes. “What was all that about? What did you mean, she’d failed you? And why is she back in Midgar? Last I heard she’d been dispatched to…”

A lightbulb went on in Reno’s head.

Tseng nodded. “Gongaga. Yes. It might come as a surprise to you, but I sent out the secondary unit to tail Zack and Cloud after you helped them escape Shinra Manor. Cissnei was assigned the outskirts of Nibelheim, and failing that, to check in for them at Zack’s hometown of Gongaga in case he decided to visit his parents. She informed me she was unable to pick up any information regarding their whereabouts, so I thought it best not to get anyone’s hopes up. After all, we had no real evidence that proved they were headed back to Midgar. Not until now.”

“You didn’t send Cissnei because of us.” Reno’s tone was level.

Tseng looked at Reno curiously. “No?”

Reno crossed his arms. “No. You sent her because of Aerith.”

Tseng remained silent, holding Reno’s gaze, so Reno continued. “Eighty-eight letters, huh? Poor girl gave you a message to give to him every time she saw you. Didn’t have the heart to tell her, did ya? Or maybe it was just better to let her think he was dead. That was the party line with the rest of us, after all, and boy did _that_ work out well for ya.”

“Reno.” Tseng’s tone was warning. “This isn’t the time.”

Tseng was right, but it didn’t make Reno any less irritated. “Never is, huh?”

“Take Rude and head out. Cissnei is going to need your help.”

Reno watched Tseng head for the door and duck inside. Every time Reno thought he had a read on Tseng, he slipped through his fingers again. But there had been something different in Tseng’s voice this time. Something sincere. And it was the first time Reno could remember that Tseng had called Zack by his first name.

Reno and Rude brought the chopper in low over the lands surrounding Midgar. Clouds had gathered in a pale sky, promising rain. Despite their aerial advantage, they weren’t having any luck picking up on where Zack and Cloud were. Reno sighed in frustration and leant back against his seat.

“They can’t be serious. No co-ordinates? There’s no way we’re gonna find two needles in a haystack this size.”

Rude’s tone was encouraging. “There’s no mission that’s impossible for the—"

“Turks, yeah, yeah.”

“Mm. Also, Tseng apparently has something to give him.”

Reno thought back to Aerith’s earnest expression and his conversation with Tseng on the landing pad. “Yeah. Eighty-eight letters from the Gainsborough girl. Figures.” A pause. “It should have been us, ya know. Military shouldn’t have got anywhere near them.”

Rude nodded in agreement. “Cissnei’s in for a hell of a lecture from Tseng when this is all over, that’s for sure.”

Speak of the devil, Reno thought, as Cissnei’s voice crackled through their headsets.

_“Reno, Rude, status?”_

“We got nothing.” Reno couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice.

“You?” Rude asked.

_“Likewise. I’m heading to Point 235. You two take Point 120.”_

“Roger.” Rude switched off comms.

“Alright,” Reno said, manoeuvring the chopper so that dipped sideways in the sky. “Let’s get going.”

They swooped low across the barren landscape surrounding Midgar, peering between columns of rock and hills that rose and fell, but still no Zack. Even Rude was beginning to get restless. Zack was a 1st Class SOLDIER, Reno reminded himself. He could handle a few Shinra lackeys. No problem.

The rain that had been promised began to fall thick and fast from a sky now obscured by clouds. It was an added obstacle that made spotting anything hard to see, lashing the glass at the front of the chopper hard enough to warrant slower flying. Another thirty minutes passed, and a bad feeling settled into Reno’s gut. Rude’s mouth was set into a hard line. Cissnei checked in on the comms again, but still nothing.

And then they saw him.

Zack lay on an outcropping of rock not far from Midgar’s eastern walls, his body so raked in blood and wet earth that he was almost camouflaged against his surroundings. Over the hills in front of him were more scattered shapes. More bodies. Too many to count at first glance. Nothing moved, nothing raised an arm for help. It was silent asides from the thunder of rain as Reno and Rude brought the chopper into land.

Rude stayed behind to radio Tseng and Cissnei as Reno hopped out to check for survivors. Cold rain soon instantly soaked through his hair and jacket but he ignored it and made straight for Zack. Reno dropped down into the dirt next to him, feeling the wet mud ooze into the knees of his trousers, and checked Zack over.

“Fuck,” Reno muttered.

The front of Zack’s uniform had been all but shredded by bullets. Chunks of flesh were missing from his torso and legs. Blood pooled in the dirt underneath him, fast diluting into the puddles gathering on the ground from the rain. Reno leant down and put an ear to his chest. Nothing. Silence. Reno checked his pulse, just to be sure, and found his hands came away slightly unsteady and stained in blood.

Zack was dead.

It took a long moment to register with Reno. He’d convinced himself he’d never see Zack again, that he was long gone, off into hiding somewhere Shinra would never find him. It never occurred to Reno that the next time he might see Zack would be to put him in a body bag. After all, there were a hell of a number of other casualties here. Reno counted forty just in the space surrounding Zack’s corpse. And he’d won. He must have. Or there’d be survivors to relay his death directly to President Shinra.

Reno reached out and brushed the back of Zack’s hand, thinking back to it gripping the hilt of the Buster Sword tight in the shadows of Hojo’s lab, pointed directly at Reno’s chest. He remembered how angry Zack was, how badly he wanted to escape, and how terrified he was that Reno might do something to put either him or Cloud at further risk. 

Cloud.

Reno got to his feet and glanced around. There was no sign of Cloud. Or Zack’s sword. And even as Rude hopped down from the chopper and began to check the other fatalities – of which there seemed to be many more scattered further afield – Reno couldn’t tear his eyes away from Zack. He felt his stomach twist itself into a knot.

The knot tightened when he imagined Cloud lying in Zack’s place.

After a while they began to hear the whir of helicopters as Tseng and Cissnei arrived. Rude wandered over and glanced at Zack, and then at Reno.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“Yeah?” Reno’s tone was flat.

“Have a little faith. We’ll find Cloud.”

“No.” Reno said sincerely. “Somehow, I don’t think we will.”

As the other choppers landed, Cissnei ran out and collapsed beside Zack, utterly horrified as she placed a shaking hand over his bloodied chest. Tseng strode up behind her and glanced to Reno and Rude, his expression unreadable. Reno was trying not to blame Tseng for all of this, but it was getting harder and harder with each minute he stood by Zack’s mangled corpse. Could he have prevented this? If they’d been a little faster? If the secondary unit of Turks had managed to locate them in the year it took them to get to Midgar? Reno thought back to the fires of Nibelheim and Veld’s orders. Back then, even Tseng had disagreed. Reno had thought freeing Zack and Cloud from Hojo’s lab would have fixed the Turks’ mistake. But it seemed this one would haunt them for a little longer still.

“Any survivors?” Tseng asked.

Rude shook his head. “Nope.”

“We don’t know that,” Reno said slowly. “Zack doesn’t go anywhere without that stupid sword that Angeal gave him, and it ain’t here, which means…”

“Strife might still be alive,” Tseng said, nodding. “I’ll send some people out to clean this mess up. You two; head back to HQ and start scanning video surveillance. If Strife got into Midgar, we’ll find him.”

For once, Reno didn’t need telling twice. He turned and headed for the chopper, but stopped with one leg up on the step.

“Something wrong?” Rude asked, looking back at him.

“I…” Reno’s gaze lingered on Zack’s body. “It’s nothing. Let’s get outta here.”

XXX

A few hours passed at Shinra HQ as Reno and Rude sorted through the day’s surveillance footage, until Tseng came in with coffees and a list of things a mile long to sweep under the rug.

“Any updates on Strife?”

“Nope.”

Rude leant back in his chair. “Where’s Cissnei?”

“She will not be joining us,” Tseng replied evenly, “if that is what you’re asking.”

Rude exchanged a look with Reno and Reno shrugged. He’d seen enough today that he was passed the point of caring. Zack’s blood-spattered corpse flashed across his vision every time he closed his eyes, accompanied by fragments of the night Reno had spent with Cloud at the bar in Sector 5. He shouldn’t care what happened. He didn’t _want_ to care. But it didn’t stop the memories of that night resurfacing, no matter how badly he was trying to keep them buried.

Reno flicked through the thousandth surveillance camera, expecting more nothing, and stopped dead. Blond hair. Broad shoulders. _Buster Sword_. Relief washed through him. He took a deep breath. It might have just been Cloud’s silhouette, but it was enough. That cluster of pixels proved it was him. He was alright.

It took another minute for Reno to find his voice. “Tseng.”

Tseng came in to lean over Reno’s shoulder. “Good work, Reno. We got him.”

Rude wheeled over in his chair. “So he made it. Which Sector?”

“Seven.”

Reno focused entirely on the surveillance as Cloud jogged across the plaza towards the train station. A double tap zoomed the camera in. Cloud was talking to a man off-screen. It looked like they were arguing.

“Two thirty-seven,” Tseng noted. “Almost three hours ago. Can you track his movements?”

Reno clicked through the surrounding cameras, growing increasingly frustrated. It was an arm here, a flash of the sword there, but it wasn’t enough. After cycling through about fifteen minutes of footage, he lost Cloud entirely.

“No matter.” Tseng pulled back, thoughts ticking over behind his eyes. “We know he’s in Midgar, and he won’t be able to take public transport without being caught by our scanners. It won’t be long before we pick up on him again. In the meantime, Reno, I’d like a word.”

Reno glanced briefly at Rude and then nodded, stepping outside the office door with Tseng.

“What’s up?”

“I need a… favour.” Tseng cleared his throat. “My hands are tied for the foreseeable future cleaning up this mess, and I would be grateful if you could find the time to visit Aerith and inform her of Zack’s death.”

Reno choked. “Me? You want _me_ to go?”

“Is this a problem?”

“I mean…” Reno struggled. “No. But you, uh, like Aerith.”

“And you don’t?”

“You know what I mean, man. It should be you.”

“Regardless of the method of delivery, she must be informed.” Tseng straightened up. “And as I have said, I will not be able to do so for some time.”

The vulnerability in Tseng’s tone made Reno falter. There was that _trust_ again that Rude had picked up on. Tseng would never admit it, but it seemed he relied on Reno more than Reno had ever actually realised.

“Sure, whatever, man,” Reno sighed, giving in. “I’ll tell her.”

Tseng looked visibly relieved. “Good. I knew I could count on you. If we receive any news on Strife’s whereabouts while you’re gone, you will be the first to know.”

Tseng headed back into the office and Reno strode over and called the elevator, his mind already jumping forwards to think about how he might break the news to Aerith about Zack’s death. The elevator dinged to his floor and Reno stepped inside, sighing. This was not going to be a pleasant visit for either of them.

XXX

Reno arrived in the Sector 5 slums after dark. He’d long since made himself invisible here; found the best routes to Aerith’s house to avoid prying eyes from the public. But tonight, he took the long road. Walked up past the bar where he and Cloud had drank together and stopped to take it in. It was still the same. The yellow bulbs flickered in the dark, the radio still soldiered on, despite its wear and tear over the years. Because it had been _years_ , hadn’t it? Almost four years. That was a long time.

Reno wasn’t sure that even if they _did_ find Cloud, he’d be willing to go with them. As far as Cloud was concerned, Reno had run out and never looked back. Never lifted a finger to help. He was barely conscious when Reno had rescued them from Shinra Manor – if you could call a three year delay a rescue. He’d been so out of it, Reno doubted if Cloud would even remember he’d been there to help.

He thumbed the card in his pocket reassuringly and headed on to Aerith’s house. The lights were inside as Reno rounded the passage bend. He could see Elmyra at the kitchen table as he stepped up to the porch, picking delicately at a plate with very little food on it. Either she’d eaten already, or she wasn’t hungry.

Reno pushed inside. Elmyra looked up as he entered and then sighed heavily.

“Yo, Ms Gainsborough.” Reno had never been one to put things delicately. He wasn’t even really sure how. “I’ve, uh, got some bad news.”

Elmyra nodded. “She knows.”

Reno stared. “What?”

“She knows. She told me she… felt him return to the planet. She’s been up in her room since midday. I offered her dinner, but she won’t come down.”

Reno glanced up the stairs. The house was silent, apart from the scratch of Elmyra’s fork against the porcelain plate. Reno hovered a moment and then nodded to the floor above.

“Any chance she’ll let me see her?”

Elmyra sighed and waved him away. “Be my guest.”

This felt strange. Reno wasn’t Aerith’s friend. They weren’t even acquaintances. It was his job to keep tabs on her, and she pretended like he wasn’t there. But he did feel some sort of responsibility to tell her about Zack. After all, Reno was the one who had told her, whenever she had asked, that Zack would come back.

Reno knocked tentatively on her bedroom door, and when there was no answer, he pushed inside.

Aerith was curled up on her bed with a blanket round her shoulders. Her hair was loose; she held the ribbon Zack gave her in one hand so tightly it was crushed out of shape. What struck Reno most was that Aerith wasn’t crying. She’d brought her knees up to her chin and rested her head there, arms wrapped about her legs. She looked up when he opened the door, and a brief flash of surprise crossed her face.

“Oh. It’s you.” She smiled sadly. “Everything alright?”

_She’s still smiling._ Reno palmed the back of his neck awkwardly and closed the door behind him. “Uh, yeah. Nope. No, it’s not okay.”

He hesitated. This was a terrible idea. He should have forced Rude to do this instead. Reno quickly realised he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to comfort someone who was grieving. His method was usually to get them absolutely blackout drunk so they wouldn’t remember how sad they were. But Aerith was smiling. She always seemed to be smiling. Even now. Even when her heart was breaking.

“It’s okay, Reno. I know.”

Reno nodded slowly, leant back against the door. “Yeah, I… your ma said. That ya knew. About…”

“Zack.” Her voice wavered, only just. “Yes.”

Reno waited, in case she wanted to say more. But she just sat there, that sad smile on her face, and stared at a point on the floor. Eventually something in Reno’s brain kicked in. He took a deep breath.

“Listen, princess...”

Reno came over, and Aerith nodded when he gestured to the bed. He sat down beside her and she shuffled over to make room, staring at him with those wide green eyes.

“… Zack did make it. Back to Midgar. Just, ah… we didn’t get to him in time.”

Aerith’s voice was barely a whisper. “Back from where?”

Reno felt his stomach drop. She didn’t know _anything_. No-one had told her. Had Tseng really not cared?

“Well, uh, he told ya about Nibelheim, yeah?”

Aerith nodded. “He left and… I never heard from him again. Did he get my letters, at least? Did Tseng give them to him?”

Reno hesitated. This was all wrong. He didn’t know what to say, not when he was faced with Aerith’s sad smile. How did you comfort someone who thought they knew the worst already?

“…Yeah,” Reno lied, after an agonising minute, and choked a little on the words. “He got ‘em. He just – he couldn’t write you back, ya know? Classified op, yadda yadda. You know how it goes.”

“Classified.” Aerith echoed. She stared at the ribbon in her hand. “Right.”

Reno didn’t know what to do. He’d lied to her. Again. But when was lying the kinder thing to say? He didn’t _want_ to tell her that Zack had died on a spit of rock in the middle of nowhere, in sight of safety but just out of reach. He didn’t want to tell her that his body had been torn to shreds after years of torture and experimentation in Hojo’s lab. What Reno _wanted_ to tell her was that Zack had died a hero, like he’d always wanted to be. But he couldn’t. Because as far as Reno knew, that might also be far from the truth.

He realised suddenly why Tseng had tempered every answer he’d given him, why each order had been an _order_ and not a request. Facts. He needed facts. Aerith was here with a knife through her heart and every half-assed attempt at comforting her only twisted the blade in deeper, instead of taking it out. How did you tell someone that the person they loved was gone because you’d been too late to save them? It wouldn’t ease her pain. Nothing he could say would help. 

Feeling overcome, Reno made to get off of the bed, but stopped when he felt Aerith’s fingers tug the corner of his jacket. He looked down at her, small and huddled beneath that blanket with Zack’s ribbon still clutched tight in one hand.

“Tell me the truth.”

That hit him like a punch to the gut. “I already told ya,” he lied again, feeling his pulse quicken.

Aerith shook her head, the dark tresses of her hair spilling down over her shoulders. “No. I know you’re holding back. You’re not telling me everything. Something happened. Something awful. I can tell.”

Reno pulled his jacket from her grasp and made for the door. His heart was pounding. He’d been right; this was a terrible idea. He wasn’t in any way whatsoever the person to deliver her this news. In fact, it should have been done by Tseng, months down the line, who could make bereavement seem like nothing worse than spilt milk.

“Reno, _please_.”

Reno froze, hand hovering over the handle. “It’s… better if you don’t know. Trust me.”

“How can I trust you when you won’t tell me the truth?

“Then maybe it’s better you don’t trust me at all.”

Reno closed the door behind him and made down the stairs, out past Elmyra, and into the night, his heart beating so fast he felt like it might burst.

XXX

Reno’s phone buzzed on the way back to HQ – _1 missed call_ – and he answered, relieved to have any kind of distraction from his racing thoughts. 

“Yo, Rude.”

_“Been trying to reach you. We got a hit on surveillance for Mako Reactor 1.”_

Reno slowed. “Cloud? The hell’s he doing in Reactor 1?”

_“Don’t know. Might be somethin’ to do with the fact he ain’t alone. We’re counting four hostiles with him. Avalanche, Tseng thinks.”_

“We moving in?”

_“No. Orders are to shoot on sight, but otherwise, don’t interfere.”_

“You’re kidding.”

_“This is the kicker: those ain’t Tseng’s orders. Those came straight from the top.”_

“President Shinra?” Reno was even more incredulous.

_“Hm.”_ Rude sounded thoughtful. _“Most likely advised by Heidegger.”_

“But if the President knows…” It would be impossible now to get to Cloud. Not without arousing suspicion. Reno grit his teeth. “Shit.”

_“Yeah. How’d things go with Aerith? She take it ok?”_

Humiliation lodged like a stone in Reno’s throat. “Yeah, she, uh… already knew. Said the planet told her, or some shit. I don’t know, man. Probably some weird Ancient powers, got like, Gaia on speed dial.”

Rude chuckled. “Yeah, she’s strange all right. Just–”

An enormous explosion rocked the city and Reno was thrown forwards into the nearest wall. He scrambled to regain his balance, his phone knocked out of his hands and bounced across the ground to stop a few feet away. Reno looked up, hearing distant screaming and the immediate wail of a siren. One of the reactors was up in flames, huge plumes of smoke billowing up into a black night sky. Mako had burst out everywhere in rivers of sparkling green energy that leaked down the sides of the plate and spread out across the roofs underneath. The red glow of fire permeated Sector 1 and grew brighter with each passing minute.

Reno stared for a long moment, Nibelheim flickering in front of his eyes, before snatching up his phone.

_“Reno!”_ Rude’s tone betrayed his concern. _“Reno, you there?!”_

“I’m fine,” Reno said reassuringly, dusting off his jacket. “I take it that was the work of our fine friends in Avalanche?”

“Hold on, I–” There was a crackle on the other line, and a muffled exchange with who Reno presumed was Tseng, before Rude came back. “I’m gonna take the chopper and come get you. Sector 5, right? Stay where you are.”

Rude hung up and left Reno looking confusedly at the phone screen. This wasn’t just Avalanche hitting a Mako reactor – they were terrorists, sure, but not homicidal. He knew that much from dealing with them before.

Something bigger was happening here.

Reno hopped into the co-pilot’s seat as Rude lifted the helicopter into the air. There was an uneasy atmosphere and Reno put his feet up on the console, staring expectantly at Rude until he deigned to fill him in.

“The reactor was us.”

Reno raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”

Rude grit his teeth. “Heidegger ordered the explosion at Mako Reactor 1. There was a bomb, sure, and Avalanche _thought_ they set it off. Cloud set it personally, going from surveillance.”

“I…” Reno took a moment to process this information. “All this to make Avalanche look… _worse_? That it?”

Rude nodded. “And I don’t think it’ll be the last. Now they’ve got your boy Cloud on board, they seem pretty amped to hurt Shinra again.”

“But Avalanche has been hittin’ Shinra stock for years. What changed?”

“This ain’t _the_ Avalanche.” Rude paused. “Well, not the guns akimbo kind. Tseng’s reasoning is this is some splinter group; hit and run type tactics. Although they ain’t done much real hitting just yet.”

Reno crossed his arms. Cloud had changed, that was for sure. Hell, who wouldn’t? After three years under Hojo’s microscope, another on the run, and then watching your friend get gunned to death by Shinra military, it would make even the proudest Shinra supporter switch sides.

“You ever think about quittin’?”

Rude glanced over at Reno, and then nodded slowly. “Sometimes. Thought about it a lot after Nibelheim. After Veld resigned, too.”

“So why didn’t ya?”

“Same reasons as you.”

Reno grinned. “Coward.”

Rude chuckled and brought the chopper in to land. They sat there a moment, Reno with his shoes still up on the dash, before Rude cleared his throat and pulled on his gloves.

“Huh?” Reno cocked his head. “That kinda night, is it?”

“Got a little tension that needs workin’ out.”

“That so. Well, don’t let me stop ya.”

Rude stood and patted Reno on the shoulder as he left. “Report in with Tseng before you go do something stupid, alright?”

Reno found Tseng in President Shinra’s office. The two men sat either side of the President’s black marble desk and looked up from their conversation as Reno entered the room.

“Reno,” the President said evenly.

Reno nodded to them both and came to stand beside Tseng. “Sir. What’s going on?”

Tseng laid a tablet down on the table and an image of Cloud flashed up on it, back when he was still a Trooper. Unease immediately settled in Reno’s stomach.

“Do you know this operative?” Tseng asked.

Reno nodded slowly, trying to read Tseng’s expression. “Uh, yeah. Got sent to Nibelheim with Fair and Sephiroth, I think.”

Tseng brought up a new image on the tablet. Grabbed from surveillance, the image of Cloud in Mako Reactor 1 with an unknown man flashed up on the screen. Reno felt his unease worsen. He did his best to instead look suitably surprised.

“And there he should have stayed.” The President’s voice was little more than a growl. “I do not need to remind you each of the significance it would have were the public to hear the truth about what happened in Nibelheim.”

“The President would like us to keep an eye on Strife,” Tseng explained. “Alongside this new splinter cell of Avalanche. In the coming days, they are… to be made an example of.”

That unease hardened into a lump in Reno’s stomach and he nodded. “Understood. Sir.”

Helplessness hit Reno in a wave as he left the President’s office. He made for the Turks’ private combat simulator feeling slightly sick, and automatically slipped his hand into his pocket to feel the card with Cloud’s number on it to ease his stress. Only, it wasn’t there. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and shoved his hand in deeper, suddenly panicked. Where the hell was it? He checked both jacket pockets and then his trouser pockets, twice. Nothing. The card was gone.

Reno cursed and ran a hand through his hair. It could have fallen out at any given point from Aerith’s house back to Shrina HQ. Hell, it probably got knocked loose by the reactor blowing. Really, this shouldn’t be quite so big of a deal. It was just a piece of paper, after all, and he _knew_ that, but right now it felt like the final straw of a truly godawful day. Taking a few breaths which did absolutely nothing to calm his mood, he set off again for the Turks’ combat sim and opened the door to see Rude already immersed in training. His partner looked up and lifted off his visor when Reno stepped inside.

“You talk to Tseng?”

Reno tried his best to sound nonchalant. “Yup.”

Rude read him like an open book. “That good, huh?”

Reno sighed, unclipped his jacket, and dumped it at the side of the training sim. “Man, I don’t know. I wanna trust him. I do. But sometimes…”

Rude chuckled and handed Reno another visor. “I get it. Tryna get a read on Tseng is like tryna pour water on oil.”

“You really think we’re gonna have to deal with Cloud? Officially? Ya know – Turk style?”

Rude watched Reno take off his goggles and slip the visor on instead. “I think we’re gonna have to prepare like that’s a possibility.”

“Great,” Reno said sarcastically. “After spending four years tryna save the guy...” Reno made an exasperated noise and unhooked his nightstick from the back of his trousers. “Just our luck, huh?”

“You gonna be okay if we get orders like that?”

Reno thought on this for a moment, because it wasn’t the first time this had crossed his mind today. Eventually, he rolled his shoulders, and shrugged. “Business as usual.”

Rude raised an eyebrow. “Even if you gotta scrap?”

“Even if I gotta scrap. Look, man – I’ll do what I can to keep him outta danger. I mean, we’ve _all_ been doing that. Even Tseng. But at the end of the day I can’t keep doing this…” He gestured vaguely to the air with his nightstick. “Whatever _this_ is. I wanna help. Sure. But I’m not about to put my neck on the line for a guy I’ve known for all of twelve hours. I did my part. I got him out. I’m _tired_. It’s Tseng who should be fixing this shit. Not me.”

Rude nodded, but his eyes lingered on Reno just a moment longer before he flipped his visor down, and the pair of them entered into the combat sim.

“Business as usual, then.”

XXX

The next day passed swiftly amidst department-wide searches for the new Avalanche. Their attack was on every news channel, every broadcasting network, and a small army of reporters had been camped outside Shinra HQ since the early hours of the morning to hound anyone who entered the building. When Tseng at last came to Reno and Rude in their B3 office, the news wasn’t good.

“They’re doing _what_?” Reno gaped. “But the Airbuster is brand new tech. _War_ tech.”

Tseng nodded. “After reports that Avalanche breached Mako Reactor 5 this evening, Heidegger referred the Airbuster to President Shinra in an effort to publicly display Shinra’s influence over the city whilst simultaneously flaunting Scarlet’s latest work.”

“It’ll be a televised execution, you mean,” Rude said through gritted teeth. “What do we do?”

“There is nothing we _can_ do,” Tseng said. “My hands are tied. When Avalanche attempt to escape the reactor tonight, they will be intercepted by the Airbuster and eliminated. Shinra are ever the heroes, and the false seed that Avalanche will be working on behalf of Wutai will have been planted in the mind of the public.”

Reno couldn’t keep the distain from his tone. “Ya know, Tseng, you sound almost impressed.”

“It takes a clever mind to create such a clear narrative from what has been a disastrous few days. However, I _am_ disappointed that all of our efforts regarding Strife will have gone to waste.”

“You ain’t acting like it,” Reno muttered.

“Or perhaps, Reno, I have a little more faith in this trio than Heidegger does in Scarlet’s new toy.”

Reno leant forwards. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Tseng waved him away and made for the door. “Keep your phones to hand. I’m sure the Turks’ services will be required before the night is out.”

And Tseng was right. Reports poured in of the Airbuster’s destruction close to five in the morning, accompanied by some impressive video footage that was sure to more than humiliate Scarlet and send her flying into a rage. Reno shrugged on his jacket and grabbed his nightstick. Rude pulled on his gloves. They made for the chopper at Tseng’s command.

_“Remember,”_ Tseng said, voice coming in through their headsets as they took off, _“Orders are to kill on sight.”_

“Right,” Reno said, rolling his eyes. “And how many times have we heard _that_ before?”

_“Reno, I’m serious. We’re still trying to locate the other two, but Strife seems to have landed somewhere in Sector 5 alongside a large portion of debris from the plate above. Rude will begin searching from the train station. You, on the other hand, are to check in on Aerith’s safety at once. That’s a priority. Once that you’ve ascertained that she’s secure, you may then join Rude in the search.”_

“Yeah, yeah,” Reno said dismissively. “Over and out.”

Dawn had long since broken by the time they reached Sector 5. Rude dropped Reno off with a handful of security officers outside the Sector 5 church, one of Aerith’s usual haunts, and then headed off towards the train station. Reno signalled to the officers to follow after him and they made their way up to the derelict church at the end of the road.

It was a clear morning. Quiet, even. They encountered very few monsters along the dirt path to the church and the officers made short work of the ones that did show face. Reno didn’t even have to lift a finger. By the time they reached the church, sunlight spilled in under the plate and illuminated the faded stained-glass windows in pale reds and blues.

“Give us a sec,” Reno called to the officers, and then walked around the side of the building to peer in through a broken window.

The church was empty at first glance. Dust particles shifted through the air, briefly turned gold as they swirled through the odd beam of sunlight that shone down through the hole in its roof. Reno was about to turn away when he heard a stifled gasp. Craning his neck, he could just about make out the pink of Aerith’s dress as her footsteps sounded suddenly on the wooden floorboards and she ran out of sight.

“Gotcha,” he muttered, and turned to the security officers. “Alright, you know the drill. You three wait here. You three – with me.”

Nodding, the three Reno had selected fell into line behind him. Reno sighed. The last time he’d spoken to Aerith, they hadn’t left things well. He doubted she’d be pleased to see him – and even less so with an armed escort in tow. But this was his job. And he’d been right – it was better they dropped the pretence of friendship when maintaining one would never be a possibility in his line of work.

With a sharp push, Reno opened the door to the church, his greeting leaving his lips before he’d entirely taken in the interior.

“I’ll see myself in, thanks,” he called, mock saluting Aerith as he went.

She was stood at the opposite end of the building nearby a patch of yellow lilies that bloomed through a large hole in the floorboards, looking suitably irked to see him, and to her left…

It took Reno a moment to recognise him. The SOLDIER uniform. Zack’s sword. Blond hair streaked with smoke and arms covered in scrapes and bruises, no doubt from the fall. But it was Cloud. Reno would know that face anywhere.

Relief and excitement thudded through Reno’s chest. In all factuality, what were the chances Cloud would have crashed through the roof of Aerith’s church when Reno had been sent to check in on her? Reno almost felt like laughing it was so absurd. Of all ways they could have met again, it was this. Go figure. They hadn’t got the chance to talk at Shinra Manor. Or before the Sector 1 Reactor had gone up in flames. This could be that chance. But Reno also knew that Aerith was watching, as were the security officers at his back, their guns raised and trained on Cloud.

So it was time for a little pantomime. Reno was good at putting on a show.

“And who are you?” Reno said slowly, shooting Cloud a sly smile in the hopes that he might also adopt the charade, but it was Aerith who answered first.

“He’s my bodyguard,” she said pointedly. “And a SOLDIER. Pretty cool, huh?”

_Just don’t be calling me that in front of anybody._

Reno recoiled. “A SOLDIER?” Was she kidding?

He glanced back and forth between Aerith and Cloud. Something was wrong. Aerith’s slightly nippy tone told him he wasn’t out of the woods for lying to her just yet, and Cloud so far hadn’t said a word. If he’d recognised Reno at all, he sure as hell wasn’t letting on.

Unease seeped into Reno’s veins. He did his best not to let it show.

“ _Ex_ -SOLDIER,” Cloud corrected Reno coldly.

The tone made Reno frown. It wasn’t one Reno’d ever heard him use. But what did he know, after four years apart? He leant forwards a little and studied Cloud’s face. It _was_ Cloud, alright, but there was definitely something off about him. SOLDIERs had eyes that reflected their Mako enhancements. Reno hadn’t seen Cloud’s eyes at Shinra Manor, but looking at him now, there was very little trace of the original blue iris left. He could pass for SOLDIER, all right.

“Well, whaddya know,” Reno muttered. “You’ve got the eyes at least.”

Aerith hopped forwards and smiled at Cloud.

“You don’t mind, do you? Bodyguard work’s not too different from merc stuff, right?” Aerith saw Cloud’s confusion and pointed to the Buster Sword strapped to his back. “Uh… I guessed! From the sword!”

The longer Reno looked at Cloud, the more he felt dread rise in his throat, forcing out the earlier eagerness that had flooded his veins at seeing him in person again. This was all wrong. Cloud had escaped Shinra once already and Reno had thought he’d done so without injury. Maybe a little Mako poisoning, but he’d been at least conscious in Hojo’s lab when they’d escaped. No. Something else had happened. Something arguably worse. His mind played back the night they’d spent together in Sector 5; the way Cloud had said with the utmost tenacity that he was going to make 1st Class. The way he’d run his fingers so gently through Reno’s hair. The way he kissed him with such conviction it had made Reno’s heart skip.

Emotion lodged like a stone in Reno’s throat, and he did his best to swallow it. He reached for the piece of card in his pocket that was no longer there.

Aerith’s voice filtered back into Reno’s conscious. “Just do this for me, okay?”

“Fine,” Cloud grumbled. “But it’ll cost you. A lot.”

“A _lot_ , huh?” Aerith shot a sidelong glance at Reno and then replied brightly: “One date ought to do it!”

_Fighting dirty, huh, princess?_ Reno thought, wincing at her words, and took his que to intervene. Cloud looked back over at Reno as he spoke.

“Huh. Well, you’re weird enough to be one.” _I guess I’ll play along._ _For now._ “What class?”

Cloud took a defensive step forward. “First.”

Did he really believe that? Reno laughed, but it came out sounding a little forced. “If you’re gonna bullshit me, at least try to make it believable.”

Reno had just the time to leap up and out of the way as Cloud lunged forwards and struck out at him with his sword. Caught off guard, Reno kicked back against the blade and pushed Cloud away, giving himself a little breathing room. Cloud gestured for Aerith to move away and she did as bid. Reno watched the scene unfold, feeling his heart pick up speed. Was this what had happened in Shinra Manor? Everything in Cloud’s body language, his expression, told Reno he wouldn’t hesitate to attack him again. Where was the Cloud who looked at him like he was worth something? The Cloud who’d been so adamant he could change the world? Reno couldn’t see that Cloud in this body any more. Even his eyes – which weren’t _his_ eyes, not now – were the eyes of a stranger.

It dawned on him, then, that Cloud wasn’t pretending. He believed every word he was saying.

He didn’t remember Reno at all.

The Mako had made Cloud stronger, no doubt easily capable of taking out the security officers that were shifting nervously behind Reno, itching for a fight. Reno gestured absently for them to proceed. Once they were out of the way, it might give him and Cloud a proper chance to talk – _alone_ , which was what he desperately needed. Although knowing Aerith, she’d get a word in edgeways as well.

“Watch the flowers!” Aerith called from the back of the church, real concern in her voice as the officers prepared to fire.

Reno nodded at Cloud. “You heard the lady.”

The officers unloaded a few roads and Cloud brought the Buster Sword up to block. He was lean enough that it covered most of his body when he held it out in front and the bullets pinged off of the metal, so that when the officers were forced to reload, it gave Cloud the perfect opening to launch a counterattack. And all the while Reno studied Cloud’s face, over and over again searching for anything that would tell him his earlier assumptions were wrong.

He found nothing.

With only two officers left standing, Cloud rolled back to his feet and looked Reno dead in the eye. “I’ll make this quick.”

Now _that_ , Reno noted, with only the smallest amount of relief, was the Cloud he knew. That determination. That drive. _I’m gonna be a SOLDIER. I don’t care how long it takes_. So there _was_ a little of him in there, somewhere. Maybe a few words of encouragement would help jog his memory?

Aerith’s next shout was lost in the rattle of gunfire as the remaining officers unloaded their next rounds towards Cloud. Reno backed off and clambered up onto a broken support column to watch the fight unfold. He paid careful attention to Cloud’s movements, the way he brought the Buster Sword around in these sweeping arcs almost effortlessly, despite Reno knowing how much the ridiculous sword weighed.

Zack. It struck him, then. Cloud’s movements reminded Reno of Zack’s. So maybe Zack had had time for a little training with Cloud in that year they’d spent on the run. It would make sense. But mercenary work? Wasn’t that a little below Zack’s honour code?

“Bodyguard, huh?” Reno called out absently. If he prodded enough, maybe Cloud would open up. “You know I’m hers too, right?”

Cloud ignored him and continued fighting, but Aerith spotted Reno on top of the column and narrowed her eyes. “Really? Since when? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Another dig at the ‘bodyguard’ thing, huh? Oh, two could play at that game.

“’Cause it was a _classified_ op, princess,” Reno called back scathingly.

Aerith noticeably flinched at the word, wounds still fresh from hearing it just a few days ago. “I don’t think that counts, then,” she shot back, but her voice wavered.

_Maybe now she’ll stay outta this_ , Reno thought, and watched as with very little effort Cloud dispatched the remaining security officers. It was a hell of a thing to see, really. The last time Reno had witnessed Cloud fight, Cloud had ended up with bruised ribs. Now he was taking out Shinra recruits without even breaking a sweat.

Realising Cloud was wrapping up this fight, Reno shouted to the officers he’d left waiting outside. “Hey! Little help in here, guys?”

The last three officers burst in through the church doors and Cloud leapt into action again, but not quick enough to take out the officer who radioed HQ for backup. Reno, however, was entirely focused on studying every swing of the Buster Sword, every move to evade another shower of bullets. Looked like Zack had taught him, for sure. Reno had never really hung out with Zack out of hours, but he knew his fighting style when he saw it. Zack had a talent for integrating the other SOLDIERs techniques into his own. When Cloud parried, Reno saw Genesis. When he blocked, Angeal. The recklessness was Zack himself. And those lightning-fast slices of the sword was none other than Sephiroth, swift and sharp enough to cut through steel.

It was over in moments. Reno clambered to his feet and thought back to what he’d told Rude in the training sim. Business as usual. But still, there was that feeling in his gut that told him this wasn’t going to be easy. Reno knew from that look on Cloud’s face that he wouldn’t let him out of here without a fight, and Reno wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. Cloud had learned a hell of a lot in that year, it appeared, and he fought like the SOLDIER he seemed to think that he was. Well, if taking him out was the only way Reno was going to get a proper conversation with Cloud, then so be it.

“Good ol’ whats-his-face,” Reno sighed emphatically, glancing down at the officers’ unmoving bodies. “Hardly knew ya.”

Cloud braced, sword at the ready, as Reno dropped down onto the church floor and shot past him, muttering: “Hate doing cleanup, but…”

A flick of the nightstick and electricity crackled around it, illuminating the church’s interior in a pale blue. That adrenaline that always took over Reno when he fought burned hot through his veins and he leant into it like an addict.

Reno grinned. “I’m _damn_ good at it.”

He caught Cloud off guard with a series of sharp strikes with the nightstick. Electricity snapped off of the Buster Sword as Cloud brought it up to block, backing off when he realised that he wouldn’t be able to break Reno’s flow just by stalling. Reno saw his chance and took off at a run as Cloud brought the Buster Sword downwards. It lodged in the floorboards and Reno ran up it, leaping over Cloud’s head to land somewhere behind him on the floor. Cloud pulled the sword from the ground and turned to face him.

Reno stuck out his tongue. “Ya missed me.”

Cloud’s face twisted in anger and he threw the sword in a wide arc. Reno rolled out of the way, bringing the nightstick down on Cloud’s exposed upper arm. He cried out and staggered back, shaking the arm vigorously as coils of blue electricity flickered around it.

“Cloud!” Aerith called nervously from beside the flowers. “Be careful!”

Fast was easy for Reno, but it was a while since he’d been pitted against someone as skilled as Cloud. The strikes got quicker and the footwork got fancy. Reno ducked and dove and struck whenever he saw the opening. Cloud was a flurry of silver steel and flashes of magic, drawing on the Materia he had lodged in the Buster Sword. Where Reno landed his hits, Cloud muttered a few words and green magic burst forth to seal the wounds. When Reno rolled out of his reach, shards of ice exploded from Cloud’s fingertips to pierce the wall behind where Reno had stood only moments ago.

Reno pulled back, panting a little. But this felt good. An even match. Usually Turks couldn’t take on a 1st Class SOLDIER without their partner. But Cloud wasn’t 1st Class, was he?

“Gonna make me work for it, huh?” Reno said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a handful of EM mines. “Well lucky for you, tough guy – I’m a consummate professional!”

The EM mines rolled across the floor and erupted with orbs of electricity. If Reno was going to subdue Cloud, this would be the way to do it.

Reno winked. “Figured this dance of ours could use a spark.”

_Then let’s dance._

Cloud’s eyes widened and rolled out of the mine’s reach, striking at the nearest with his sword, but too late to notice the three that detonated behind him. Cloud yelped and collapsed, muscles convulsing as ribbons of blue electricity rolled over his body. Reno plunged his nightstick into the floor and unleashed a bolt of electricity that threw Cloud backwards, his body clattering off of a nearby column. This time, when Cloud pulled himself to his feet, bruised and panting, and reached for the Buster Sword, there was a tremble in his limbs that hadn’t been there before.

Reno’s smirk vanished at the sudden memory of Cloud in the alley four years ago, face underlit by the blue electricity of the nightstick, and the apologetic smile on his face.

_Sorry. I’m not so good without my sword._

Seeing an opening in Reno’s defence Cloud shot forwards and brought the Buster Sword down hard, Reno only just catching it with the edge of the nightstick as he was pulled sharply back from his memories. They both heard the metal shriek as the sword connected and the EM rod creaked with the effort of deflecting the blow. Cloud saw his chance and Reno realised his mistake too late as he was thrown backwards, the Buster Sword ripping up through the front of his shirt and slicing across the skin of his stomach up to his throat.

Reno fell to one knee, hand going to his chest and coming away stained scarlet. His vision blurred a little, and when he looked up he saw Aerith’s horrified expression and Cloud striding towards him with the bloodied sword raised high. Reno tried to get out of the way but pain shot through his body and it was all he could do to brace himself against the floorboards so he wouldn’t collapse.

He’d _lost_. It took a moment to register fully.

Now that was a first.

“You’ve got it all wrong, man,” Reno said thickly, gazing up into Cloud’s face as he raised the sword. “I just wanted to–”

Reno stopped dead. There was nothing in those eyes. No recognition. No sympathy. The Buster Sword dripped in Reno’s own blood.

Cloud was going to kill him without a second thought.

Reno felt the air part in front of him as Cloud swung the sword down, and thought, all of a sudden, that it would be ironic that the one person he’d tried harder to keep safe than almost anyone else would be the one to take his life.

“Cloud!” Aerith cried raggedly. _“No!”_

Cloud halted, mid-execution, as the doors to the church burst open and reinforcements arrived. Aerith lurched forwards and grabbed Cloud, dragging him away through the back of the church as the new officers sprung forward to help Reno. Reno tried hard not to shake as he heard them approach. _Cloud would have killed me_ , he thought, barely able to process what had just happened. _If Aerith hadn’t been there… the officers… I’d be dead._

“Sir! Are you hurt?”

Reno felt an arm at his shoulder and shoved the officer away from him in a flash of panic. Shame brought a red flush to his cheeks.

“I’m fine,” he lied, and pointed in the direction Aerith and Cloud had run off in. “Go get the girl.”

Two of the officers nodded and ran off, leaving the third to nervously ask Reno if he required any further assistance. With a humiliated sigh, Reno let himself be helped to his feet. Prodding the wound, it seemed only skin deep, but the blood that was running down his torso was making the officer next to him glance over every three seconds to check Reno hadn’t upped and died. Said officer slung a tentative hand about Reno’s waist and helped him through to the back of the church after the others. Reno wasn’t going to let Cloud get away that easily, not now he knew that Aerith wasn’t keen on the idea of Cloud beating him into a bloody pulp. She was still mad at him, that much he could be certain of, but she sure as hell didn’t want him dead. And though Reno would never admit it, it was a huge relief to know that he hadn’t lost her entirely.

Reno swayed a little and gripped onto the officer for support as they made their way through into the back of the church. As they turned the corner and through a set of double doors, Reno looked up sharply to see Aerith reaching for Cloud’s hand, walking across an exposed beam on the second floor of the building, and realised with a sudden horror that the two officers ahead of them had turned to open fire.

_“Hey!”_ Reno growled. “No shooting!”

The officers faltered. “B-But, sir!”

Aerith leapt for Cloud as the beam, newly peppered with bullet holes, gave way beneath her. Cloud caught her in his arms and pulled her to the other ledge, quickly checking her over to make sure she was alright before they rushed off towards the upper floor. Reno didn’t miss the grateful look Aerith cast him over her shoulder as they disappeared into the shadows.

Reno turned and addressed the nearest officer with as much ruthlessness as he could muster. “If there’s so much as a _scratch_ on her… you’re done, ya hear me?”

“Sir!” The officer stood to attention, exchanging a nervous glance with his comrade. 

“We bring her in in one piece.” Reno paused. “Well? Go find out where they’re headed.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

The two officers trotted away and returned a few moments later. Reno eyed them both deploringly. His orders were mostly for show. He was beginning to feel woozy, and there was no real possibility that he’d sent these incompetent fools after Aerith when a wrong foot in this church could mean a serious injury on her behalf.

Tseng might have been the one to set the rule about Aerith’s safety, but Reno would be damned if he couldn’t actually enforce it.

The first officer stood to attention. “They’re in the attic. Should we pursue?”

Reno sighed theatrically. “Nah. Leave ‘em be.”

“But – sir!”

“Partner’s got it,” Reno lied, motioning for them to follow him as he turned with the third officer to make for the exit. “We. Are. Out.”

He winced as they made it back into the body of the church, hand going to his chest where Cloud had struck him. The gash had slowly begun to clot, but every time he moved too sharply, the skin would stretch and make him flinch. The officer he held onto looked at him curiously.

“You sure you’re alright, sir?”

“Pfft, yeah,” Reno answered weakly. “Beginner’s luck.”

The officer nodded knowingly and kept a tighter grip on him. The injury hurt. Truly. Reno was sure he’d be begging for a Cura by the time he made it back to HQ. But it wasn’t where his thoughts lingered – had _been_ lingering since he’d seen Zack lying dead in the dirt three days ago. Knowing that all those little fragments of memory floating around in Reno’s head that had come back to the forefront, all those glimpses of shadowed kisses and the taste of booze on Cloud’s lips, the feel of fingers through his hair and under his shirt, the tenderness in those blue eyes and a promise to make things right–

That was all Reno had left of Cloud, now.

And somehow that hurt much, much worse.


	5. Bloodshot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe I’m a good guy, standing on the wrong side,  
> Maybe I’m a sweetheart, tryin’ make my own scars."  
> – Bloodshot, Sam Tinnesz.

Reno hauled himself into the chopper and nodded to the pilot, who started the engine and took off from Sector 5. One of the officers in the back came over to where Reno was propped up, one hand over his chest, and with only gentle persuasion began to sterilise the wound. Reno dug into his pocket for his phone and dialled Rude, feeling an embarrassed flush rise to his cheeks. It was mortifying admitting he’d been beat. But he needed Rude right now. Even with his wounded pride, Reno knew that much was true.

Rude answered on the second ring. _“Reno?”_

“Yo, partner.” Reno stifled a cough. “You got a sec?”

Rude’s tone immediately shifted to concern. _“You good?”_

“Yeah, man, I – _shit_.” Reno swatted at the medic who’d prodded his injury a little too hard, and she backed off apologetically. “Ouch. Fuck. Okay, so maybe I’m not so good. I, uh, ran into Cloud at Aerith’s church in the slums.”

_“Cloud?”_ Rude echoed in disbelief. _“Where are you? Still there?”_

“Yeah. They got away. Aerith is with him.”

_“Hang tight. I’m headed over.”_

“Nah. Stay where you are. If they got out, they’ll be headed in your direction – and if you miss ‘em, check back at Aerith’s house in, like, an hour. My bet is she’ll take him there.” 

_“Copy that.”_ Rude wavered. _“You need a medic?”_

“Already got one.” Reno paused. “Thanks.”

Rude chuckled. _“No worries. Get yourself patched up and I’ll see you back at HQ.”_

“Yeah, just be careful, if you run into them. Cloud’s picked up a few moves since we last met.”

_“That so?”_

“Yeah.” Reno shifted in his seat and sighed. “Watch yourself out there.”

The chopper landed at HQ and the medic accompanied Reno down to B3 where Tseng was waiting. He took one look at Reno and requested a Materia user be brought at once. The medic nodded and scurried away, leaving Reno propped up in his desk chair and Tseng standing a few feet away, hands folded behind his back.

“Care to explain?”

Reno sighed. “Found Aerith in the church in the Sector 5 slums. Cloud was with her.”

Tseng raised an eyebrow. “And am I to believe that Strife was responsible for… _this_?” He gestured to Reno’s bandaged chest.

“Yup. Aerith’s safe, before you ask. He seems to have taken a shine to her. Rude’s on the lookout for them at the station.”

Tseng walked over, pulled across a chair, and sat down beside Reno, leaning one arm on the desk. Reno eyed him cautiously.

“Would you like to elaborate as to how an ex-Trooper was able to take down the Turks’ second in command?”

Reno blushed. “Man, it ain’t like that. He had the Buster Sword and knew like, all of Zack’s best moves. Probably still hopped up on Mako from his stay at Shinra Manor, too.”

“And?”

“ _And?_ I didn’t have my partner. What did ya think was gonna happen?”

“He’s not a SOLDIER, Reno. He didn’t even make 3rd. As my future successor, I expect better of you.”

Reno grit his teeth and looked away, tapping one hand against the desk to disguise his humiliation. Tseng was right, of course. Cloud wasn’t a SOLDIER, despite what Cloud himself might have come to believe. Still, Reno couldn’t bring himself to admit the reason he’d been beat was his own feelings getting in the way of the job. Not being emotionally invested was pretty much Turk 101 and somehow, he reasoned that Tseng’s reaction would be much worse to learn that it was the real reason Reno had lost the fight. He was sure if it came to blows again he could take Cloud on. It wasn’t anything to do with their personal history, now, Reno thought. It was a matter of settling the score. 

Tseng sighed and stood up, ushering in the Materia user when they arrived. Relief washed over Reno as the medic hit him with a Cura and the injuries to his chest healed significantly. After another few minutes, it was as though they’d never been there at all.

The medic scurried away and Reno stretched, testing the skin. “Good as new,” he muttered, marvelling for the millionth time at just what Materia could do. He’d never picked up much of a talent himself in using it, but he was grateful that it meant he wouldn’t have to wait for any wounds to heal naturally.

“Want me to head back out?” Reno asked, turning to where Tseng had sat down behind his desk to continue with whatever paperwork he’d been ploughing through before the interruption.

“That won’t be necessary.” Tseng didn’t look up. “I’m sure Rude can handle Strife.”

Reno winced. “Oh yeah? You don’t think it’s better if it’s two against one?”

“I don’t think we have anything to gain by having you get injured again.”

Reno blushed scarlet and opened his mouth to snap back when Tseng’s desk phone rang. He answered and Reno backed off, searching Tseng’s face for any change to his demeanour.

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

Tseng put the phone down and straightened up, brushing down his jacket. Reno folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“President Shinra requests we meet him in his office immediately.” Tseng’s eyes slid down to Reno’s open jacket and shirt. He sighed. “Do try to make yourself presentable.”

Reno grumbled and did up his shirt and jacket as he followed Tseng out of B3 to the President’s Suite. The sun was beginning to set over Midgar, and the view from the suite of the light glancing across the upper plate was something Reno would never get tired of seeing. They stepped inside and made their way up to the black marble desk.

President Shinra looked up as they entered. “Ah, Tseng. Reno.”

“Mister President.” Tseng nodded and stopped in front of the desk.

Reno slowed a few steps behind Tseng and stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. “Sir. What can we do for ya?”

The President leant back and lit a cigar. “A discussion with Heidegger and Scarlet following last night’s attack has brought to my attention the true importance of squashing this little eco-rebellion stirring in my city. Since the plan to disgrace Avalanche publicly backfired so _spectacularly_ , I thought I might pose the two of you a question as to how we may salvage this situation.”

“Sir?”

“Let me put it this way, Tseng.” The President got to his feet and wandered away towards the window, blowing a cloud of cigar smoke into the air. “What worked so admirably in our first interference with their mission?”

Reno stared at Tseng and then the President, feeling a sudden unease.

“There were… casualties, sir,” Tseng said after a beat. “It was the first time Avalanche had been seen to be responsible for direct harm done members of the public.”

“Exactly.” The President turned and smiled. “And when they attempted to hit Mako Reactor 5…?”

Tseng kept his tone carefully measured. “There were none, sir.”

“Indeed. And from the intel we have gathered following both attacks, we know that their base is located somewhere within the Sector 7 slums. We just don’t know _where_.”

The President turned to face Tseng and Reno again, coming to stand back behind his desk. He raised an eyebrow and took another drag on the cigar. Reno felt that uneasiness worsen. Tseng’s expression, from what Reno could see, was tightly controlled.

“I trust you know the phrase about killing two birds, Tseng?”

“I am familiar with it, sir.”

“Good.” The President nodded. “Then I won’t spell this out for you. Tonight, I want you to take as many reinforcements as you deem necessary and authorise the separation of the Sector 7 plate.”

Ice flooded Reno’s veins. He took a step forwards in shock, in anger, but Tseng held up a warning hand, and Reno grudgingly bit his tongue.

“Reinforcements, sir?” Tseng asked calmly.

“Yes. I doubt this excursion to be without resistance. In fact, the more theatrical, the better. You have my authority to do whatever you deem necessary to ensure the support pillar is destroyed. Just keep any incidental bloodshed away from the press – unless, of course, it further illuminates Avalanche’s ties to Wutai.”

“Understood, sir.”

Reno balled his hand into a fist so tightly his knuckles burned. He could never understand how Tseng was able to remain so composed at hearing orders like the ones they’d just been issued. The President had just told them to _drop_ the Sector 7 plate. That would kill _thousands_ of unsuspecting people below it, not to mention those trapped on top. Reno had done a fair amount of questionable shit in his time as a Turk, but _this_? His skin crawled at the mere idea of it.

“Sir,” Tseng ventured, and Reno glanced over, surprised. “With regards to the civilians…?”

The President turned to sit back down at his desk. “That will not be a concern of yours. Reeve will be taking care of proceedings involving plate evacuations. Your sole focus should be collapsing the support pillar.”

Tseng nodded. “Yes, sir.”

President Shinra waved a hand idly. “I still have a few things I aim to run by Heidegger before the mission is officially authorised, so use this time to prepare yourselves. You are both dismissed.”

“Sir,” they replied automatically, and turned to leave.

The minute they stepped outside of the President’s suite, Tseng held up a hand, seeing Reno’s expression. “I need not remind you that what was just discussed will not be repeated to anyone outside of the Turks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reno said irritably. “But Tseng, he’s _lost_ it. Even if Reeve manages to get everyone out, they got _homes_ down there, businesses, we–”

“That is not our problem to solve.”

“It ain’t?” Reno stared at Tseng. “But we’re sure as hell gonna be the ones responsible for it.”

“That is the job, Reno. I thought you’d learned to put personal feelings aside in matters of company procedure.”

Reno grit his teeth. “Yeah, so had I.”

Tseng nodded. “Then I expect to see the utmost professionalism from you this evening. Call Rude and tell him to return to headquarters at once. We have preparations to make.”

Tseng strode off down the hall and Reno watched him go. _Reeve’ll get everyone out_ , Reno reminded himself. Reeve was a bit of a stick in the mud, but there was no-one he’d trust more to make sure the people in Sector 7 got to safety before the support pillar blew. Reno wondered briefly what Reeve’s reaction had been when President Shinra had informed him of the plan. Probably a tight nod and a private sob. He’d just finished building the damn thing, after all. 

Tseng glanced back at Reno over his shoulder as he came to a stop outside of the elevator. “Oh, and Reno?”

Reno looked up.

“Strife will most likely be with Avalanche if they arrive to defend the pillar. I would prepare yourself for a public confrontation if it arises.”

Reno frowned. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Simply put, this is the definitive end to our little escapade. I admit that…” Tseng seemed to struggle for a moment and then sighed. “That I failed. I did my best to rescue Zack. I tried to do the same for Cloud. But there is no conceivable way now to subvert the President’s plans without outright disloyalty. Therefore, we must be prepared for what that entails come tonight’s mission.”

Something in Tseng’s tone told Reno that this apology, if you could call it that, wasn’t meant for him. And Reno might well have snapped back at him for it if Tseng hadn’t been right. Because Cloud worked for Avalanche now and they sure as hell wouldn’t stand aside as the President tried to crush an entire sector of the city. It was no trouble for Shinra to order Cloud’s execution, as they’d seen from the night before. Under Shinra’s watchful eyes, the Turks wouldn’t be able to refuse an order like that. There would be no chance to talk. No option B. No quiet conversation to make Cloud see the years of struggle the Turks had gone through to try and keep him safe. It would be a bullet to the head and –

Business as usual.

Ha.

Reno held Tseng’s gaze for a long beat, until the elevator dinged at their floor and the glass doors rolled open. Tseng nodded to Reno, once, and then stepped inside. Reno sighed and pulled out his phone. When Rude answered, Reno didn’t wait around for him to ask any questions.

“Hey there, partner. I’m sure you’re having the time of your life, but we’re needed on standby for a job.” Reno couldn’t bring himself to tell Rude exactly what it was over the phone. “Something about Sector 7. So get your ass back here now.”

Rude sounded tired. _“Understood.”_

XXX

Night had fallen by the time Rude made it back to HQ. Reno met him on the landing pad and raised an eyebrow on their way to B3, noting the scuffs on Rude’s suit and the bruise beginning to swell under his right eye.

“You run into Cloud and Aerith?”

Rude nodded.

Reno felt his chest tighten. “And?”

“I got interrupted.”

“Tch.” Reno looked away, annoyed. “Come on, man. _Details_. You see what I mean about moves?”

“Sure did. Might have put him down, too, if you hadn’t called. Nobody beats on my partner like that without a little payback.”

Gratitude flickered through Reno. “I’m telling ya,” he said quickly instead. “It’s like he’s a whole other person.”

They arrived at B3 and Reno hung back as Tseng relayed the President’s newest orders to Rude. Unsurprisingly, Rude wasn’t pleased, but handled the conversation well. The mission was clear. Troopers would head in first and draw out Avalanche to the pillar. Once they’d arrived, then the Turks would go in. The goal was to create chaos, from which Shinra could patch together a narrative after the smoke had cleared. Tseng was quick to remind them that the easiest way to divert blame would be instead to focus it on Avalanche. After all, the last few days had given the public a lot of food for thought with regards to where Avalanche’s allegiances lay.

As the night drew on, they got the call to at last head out.

Reno and Rude took a chopper down to Sector 7, flying low over the city and staying clear of the gunfire that permeated the air as they approached.

“…Understood.”

Rude hung up the phone and nodded at Reno. “President’s given the final go ahead; the Avalanche mission’s been officially approved. No changes. We are to proceed as planned.”

“This is bullshit,” Reno grumbled, not for the first time since they’d stepped into the helicopter. “What the hell are they thinking?”

“’Threats to public order are to be summarily put down’,” Rude quoted slowly, as if still trying to justify this to himself. “This is what we’ve always done.”

“’Summarily put down’,” Reno echoed mockingly. “That what we did to Zack?”

Rude looked away.

“Hm.” Reno sat back in the chair, thinking back to his conversation with Tseng outside the President’s office. _Business as usual._ “Guess it’s a little late to grow a conscience,” he muttered.

“Reeve will get them out,” Rude said quietly. “You know what he’s like.”

Reno nodded. “Yeah. Ain’t gonna be able to save everyone though, is he?”

“He’ll do what he can.”

“Right.”

They flew in silence a while longer, before Rude settled back into his seat and sighed.

“You know, Reno, been meaning to ask.”

“Mhm?”

“You been a little off ever since your fight with Cloud. And I get it – it ain’t a good feeling, getting beat. But I gotta feeling there’s something you ain’t telling me.”

Reno felt his stomach twist. “Oh yeah?

“Yeah.” Rude let the comment sit a moment. “I ain’t seen you with that card in a while, either.”

Reno blushed. “Yeah, well, I, uh, lost it. Doesn’t matter. Wasn’t important anyway.”

“Sure. So if we see him again tonight, it’s still just gonna be business as usual, huh?”

There it was again. _Business as usual_. Reno was beginning to regret ever saying that out loud.

“What’s this about, Rude?” he said defensively. 

“Maybe once it was about fixing our mistake. And in part, it still is. But now… you care about what happens to him, don’t you?”

The question hit him like a punch to the gut. Reno’s throat closed up and he looked away. He could lie, say it wasn’t true, say that seeing Cloud in the church again hadn’t just brought everything back from four years ago with painful transparency and then ripped it away in the space of a few fleeting moments. But then he’d be lying. And Rude always knew when Reno was lying.

Rude nodded slowly, seeing Reno’s reaction. “Yeah. Thought so.”

Reno bristled. “And so what if I do?”

“Think I deserve a little more credit than that. I saw how you looked when you asked about my run in with Cloud. We’re about two minutes away from the support pillar. You’re my partner. If you’ve got my back, then I’ve got yours. If you got stakes in this, then I’ll follow your lead. But you gotta be straight with me. I’m not walking in somewhere you ain’t got intentions of walking back out of.”

Reno felt suddenly overwhelmed by gratefulness. “Rude, I…” he shook himself and cleared his throat. “I’ve got every intention of getting outta here alive tonight. Don’t sweat about that. And as for Cloud…” Reno pondered. “Shinra’s not the only one with a bone to pick.”

Rude chuckled and brought the chopper in closer to the Sector 7 support pillar. Now that they were up close, they could see figures at varying intervals up and down the stairwells, open firing on a few Shinra choppers already circling the column. Reno looked down over the slums below, and it struck him suddenly that there were people gathered between the houses, watching the violence unfold above them. Rude noticed, too, and they exchanged a concerned look.

“This ain’t right,” Rude muttered. “Where’s Reeve? Why aren’t they evacuating?”

Reno made to answer when Tseng’s voice sounded through their headsets.

_“Reno. Rude. I’m on the approach with two more birds. Reports are the initial wave of Troopers met heavy resistance from local militia. Avalanche can’t be far behind.”_

“Yeah, we can see that,” Reno said sarcastically. “And what about the codes? You get ‘em?”

_“Yes. Plate separation code is 647, 412. Got it?”_

“Yeah, yeah, course I do,” Reno said, riled up at the sudden surge back to the reality of their situation. “We can drop the damn thing whenever. It’s just that I’m not seeing much of an opening here. And where the hell is the evacuation team? There’s civilians everywhere.”

Tseng sounded genuinely confused. _“What? Get Reeve on the phone. Now.”_

Reno pulled his phone out of his pocket and let it ring as Rude tried to manoeuvre them closer in towards the pillar.

_“Reeve here.”_

“Reeve, you son of a bitch, where are you?”

_“Reno? What’s going on?”_

Reno looked at Rude in disbelief. “The hell do you _mean_ , ‘what’s going on’? You had orders to evacuate Sector 7, and I ain’t seeing much evacuating happening down here!”

Reeve’s tone immediately changed. _“Reno, I assure you, I have had no such orders. Who told you that?”_

Gunfire exploded out across the side of the helicopter and Rude swung them hard to the right, Reno leaning forwards to brace himself against the dash, phone forgotten in his hand. The chopper lurched sideways in the air and the edges of the glass windscreen deflected a heavy rain of bullets from the gunmen protecting the pillar. They’d got in far too close. Another few hits to the body like that might do some serious damage to the chopper.

“You got a death wish or something?” Reno snapped at Rude. “Because I sure as shit don’t.”

_“Reno, what’s happening?”_ Tseng’s voice cut in. _“Do we have a problem?”_

“Not really,” Reno said quickly. “Small arms fire from some local boys trying to defend the pillar.”

_“More would-be heroes, huh? Sending reinforcements. The more players that take the stage, the better.”_

“So that’s all we are, huh?” Reno said scathingly.

Tseng ignored him. _“Contact me when the mission is complete.”_

Another rattle of gunfire exploded outwards from the pillar and they pulled away from the main body of the structure, looping around the sides and turning on their searchlight to assess the damage so far. After another second or two Reno remembered the phone clutched in his hand.

“Yo – Reeve?”

Reeve sounded frazzled. _“Reno! Just what in the hell is going on down there?!”_

_He really doesn’t know_ , Reno thought, with no small amount of dread. _Then that means…_

“The President is blowing the Sector 7 support pillar.” 

There was a weighty pause. _“You… you aren’t serious. Tell me you aren’t serious.”_

“Wish I could, man. And the President told _us_ that he’d put _you_ in charge of evacuations.”

_“In his mind, perhaps,”_ Reeve growled. _“I’m heading down now. Stay put and notify me if anything changes.”_

Reno put his phone away and looked at Rude. “Ya know, if I’d known the President was planning on playing games, then I woulda done the same.”

“We still got time,” Rude said coolly.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Avalanche ain’t here just yet, far as I can see. You wanna talk about what we’re gonna do when they show?”

“Hmm…” Reno glanced down out of the windows to where more figures had appeared at the base of the pillar. “Looks like Avalanche heard ya. Tseng wanted a show, didn’t he? Then let’s give him one hell of a performance.”

“You got it.” Rude adjusted his shades. “And the pillar?”

Reno shrugged. “We cross that bridge when we come to it. That’ll be one thing we can’t fake.”

“Yeah. But could you do it?”

Reno turned and glanced out of the window again, down to where the crowds of civilians had gathered below. “I… don’t know,” he said sincerely. “Probably. It’s just pushing a button, right?”

Rude made a vague noise of affirmation but both of them knew that that was bullshit. It was true that all they had to do was enter the code and push a button. But if the civilians hadn’t evacuated in time, then pushing that button would mean sentencing thousands of innocent people to die.

And it would be no-one’s fault but theirs.

An explosion of bullets out across the side of the chopper pulled them from their conversation and Reno looked up to see a man running up to the top floor of the pillar, carrying a huge gun on one arm – no, no, his arm… _was_ the gun? Reno exchanged a confused glance with Rude and dropped the chopper another level.

“Let him go,” Rude said. “It’ll give us some more time to let Reeve get folks out once we get up there.” He nodded to the bird’s microphone. “Now that Avalanche is here, you wanna give us the opening act, or should I?”

Reno leant forwards and grabbed the mic. “Here goes nothing.” He cleared his throat and pushed the release catch. “Testing, testing…” his voice echoed across the buildings outside of the chopper. He did his best to sound dramatic as possible. “Attention Avalanche scum! We know all about your evil plans to destroy the pillar. But the Turks – _uh_ , but _Shinra_ –” he corrected himself quickly, looking at Rude, who rolled his eyes, “That’s us – won’t let you get away with it! So go crawl back into whatever hole you crawled out of, or something.” He looked at Rude again. “That oughta do it, right?”

Rude sighed and motioned for Reno to relock the mic’s release catch. “Eh, good enough.”

Reno leant back against the seat and scanned the stairwell for any signs of activity. His breath caught in his throat when he picked out blond hair and a painfully familiar sword in the shadows ahead. So Tseng had been right after all.

“Cloud?” Rude murmured.

Reno grit his teeth. “Mister _1 st Class_,” he said mockingly, instantly projected back to Cloud attacking him in Sector 5. His hand wrapped around the gun controls and he leant forwards, images of the Buster Sword at his chest flashing through his memory. “1st Class _asshole_.”

He pressed down and a storm of bullets descended on the stairwell. Cloud lunged forwards and scrambled up to the next floor, Reno hounding his steps with the bird’s gatling gun. Most of the bullets pinged away into the dark, a clean miss against such a small, nimble target. Besides, bullets weren’t much use against SOLDIERs, and if Cloud really had the skills of one, then avoiding them would be a walk in the park.

“Gotcha now!” Reno called performatively. “Ain’t got nowhere to run.”

Cloud dived behind a container of piping on the next floor up and the bullets ricocheted off of the pipes, scattering them in all different directions. Reno ceased fire and leant back, feeling smug. A part of him felt good to get back at Cloud for the ass kicking he’d given Reno in Aerith’s church. In fact, that same part of him was already itching for a second go. 

“Man, you gotta get better at getting over guys,” Rude said with a sigh, and leant forwards for the mic, his voice immediately becoming audible outside of the cockpit. “Throw down your weapon and surrender. Shinra does not negotiate with terrorists.”

Reno chuckled as Rude clicked off the mic. “That the best you got?”

Rude blushed and cleared his throat. “It’s the best _you’re_ gonna get, that’s for sure.”

“Man, screw this cheap-ass play.” Reno leant forwards and unleashed another round of bullets into the stairwell. “The faster we get him outta hiding, the faster I can get down there and pay him back for this morning.”

“Stairs,” Rude muttered.

“Huh?”

Movement caught Reno’s eye and the figure of a dark-haired woman came sprinting up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Something in Reno’s memory told him he recognised her, but then again, he’d fought so many Avalanche members over the years, it was getting hard to keep track.

Reno grinned. “Two birds with one shitload of bullets!”

There was the sudden sensation of pain exploding in Reno’s temple as the chopper swung violently right and he hit the window, scrabbling to try and right himself again in the seat. When he looked back around, the woman had made it up to Cloud on the floor above, and Rude had steadied the chopper again.

“Dammit!” Reno snapped. “You wanna explain yourself, partner?”

“Uh… hand slipped.”

“Right.” Reno crossed his arms. “And the other explanation?”

Rude coughed. “I…uh…”

Reno wracked his brains. “Holy shit. That – that was _Tifa_. You still got a crush on the _bartender_?” Rude didn’t answer, and Reno leant back, chuckling. “Didn’t know she was Avalanche. Go figures.”

“Let’s just get this over with.”

They flew upwards to the highest climbable point of the support pillar where the engineer panel was fitted at the top. When they cycled round, the man with the gun-arm was there, and a hail of bullets battered against the side of the chopper. Rude swung them sideways, doing his best to avoid the worst of the damage. After a few moments, Cloud and Tifa appeared at the top of the stairs and ducked for cover with the other man as Reno sent return fire scattering across the floor behind them.

Rude looked at him and Reno shrugged. “What? We gotta be convincing and shit. Don’t gimme that look.”

“Hmph. You ready?”

Reno nodded and got up out of his seat, pulling back the chopper door. Wind burst inside of the helicopter, whipping his ponytail back and forth. From here, he could make out the three figures atop the pillar and the engineer panel affixed to the wall behind them. With Cloud’s skills, and the other two all riled up, it was sure to be a hell of a fight.

Reno’s eyes found Cloud and he smiled. “Time for a rematch, huh…” he looked over his shoulder. “Rude!”

Rude nodded and grabbed Reno’s nightstick from where it hung over the central console. Reno caught it out of the air and unlocked it, feeling a rush of adrenaline flood his veins as Rude brought the chopper in low. Cloud turned to face him, eyes widening as he realised who was stood at the chopper’s door.

“You!”

Reno grinned. “It’s nothing personal, _bitch_.”

He leapt out of the chopper, feeling it swing back into the air behind him as he dropped down, nightstick readied. Cloud brought his sword forwards to block and Reno landed on it hard, nightstick crackling blue, and then flipped back out of the way as Cloud made to throw him off. 

_Oh, this is gonna be fun_ , Reno thought as he landed a few feet away, feeling instantly energised. He was ready for Cloud this time, and despite acknowledging that he did care about what happened to him, Reno was more than prepared to settle the score after their fight at the church.

Cloud lunged forward, swinging the cumbersome Buster Sword forwards in a wide arc. Reno ran forwards to meet him, dropping into a slide across the metal flooring and ducking the blade as it parted the air above his head.

“Too slow!” he quipped, and broke into a sprint for the engineering console behind Cloud.

Cloud made to follow but the rattle of gunfire against metal told Reno that Rude was blocking his path. Reno reached the console and slammed into it, tapping the keys as quick as he could to bring up the plate code entry screen. Another shout and a crack of bullets behind him announced Avalanche’s return fire at Rude in the chopper.

“You’re next, asshole!” the unknown man shouted to Reno.

Reno turned around, doing his best to appear unperturbed. “Sorry losers! Gotta play for keeps today. No time to dick around.”

He swung back toward the console, hooking his nightstick into his belt, and input the code that Tseng had given him. Get the Turk crap outta the way first, and then he could have his fun.

_“Plate separation authorised,”_ an automatic voice announced as Reno hit the enter key. _“Awaiting confirmation.”_

“Yeah, yeah,” Reno muttered. “Coming right up.”

Two panels on the console slid back and revealed a red triangle-shaped button. Reno hesitated a moment, staring at it, knowing that when he pressed it, they would not have a long amount of time before the plate fell. _Reeve better have got his ass down here_ , he thought, and moved to press the button.

A grunt of effort behind him alerted Reno immediately to the sword that swung through the air towards his head. He reached instinctively for his nightstick and brought it round to block. The Buster Sword crashed into it hard, and Reno struggled to push Cloud backwards away from him with just one hand gripping his weapon.

“No you don’t!” Reno growled. “Not when I’m working!”

A flash of electricity sent Cloud back a few feet away, flicking the Buster Sword over in his grip to shake off the blue sparks left circling the metal. Reno turned around fully to face him and rested the nightstick back over one shoulder, tapping it teasingly. Cloud was letting his emotions get the better of him, and with his Avalanche friends distracted by Rude in the chopper, it meant Reno had Cloud all to himself.

Now that was something he liked to see.

Cloud took a threatening step forwards and gestured to the console. “Press it.”

“Now, now…” Reno twirled the nightstick tauntingly. “You ain’t got shit on us.”

“’Us’?” Cloud echoed.

Reno pointed at Rude’s chopper circling the tower. “I think you’ve met my partner.”

“Oh, him?” Cloud raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t realise Shinra had such a litter of lapdogs. Shame none of them can think for themselves.”

Reno grit his teeth and stepped forwards. “Lapdog, huh?” He curled a finger provokingly. “Then come see how hard I can _bite_.”

Cloud lunged and Reno rolled out of the way, the sword shrieking through the metal to the right of the console. Reno had a strategy this time. Cloud might have been Mako-enhanced, but even SOLDIERs got tired, and that sword wouldn’t do him any favours in the long run. Reno was quick. It was his biggest asset in combat. The smaller and faster you were, the harder to hit. So he would be as nimble as possible, wear Cloud down, until he begun to tire – and then, the fight would _really_ begin.

Cloud swung raggedly with the Buster Sword, a low growl escaping him as Reno dodged for what was about the tenth time in a row. Reno backed off, smirking, twirling the nightstick in one hand. Cloud stared him down, breathing heavy.

“That all you got, Mister 1st Class?”

Cloud grit his teeth. “Do they teach you how to fight in the Turks? Or just how to run?”

“Why?” Reno winked. “Not fast enough to catch me?”

“He might not be, but _I_ am.”

Reno yelped as Tifa’s boot struck him in the side of the head. He staggered sideways, whipping round to block an onslaught of successive punches as she shot towards him, knuckles of her gloves burning with yellow Materia. In the opening she’d made, Cloud saw his chance, and Reno felt the Buster sword slice though the sleeve of his jacket into flesh of his upper arm.

Reno clenched his jaw. Now this, he hadn’t factored in. He lashed out with the nightstick, a wide arc of electricity rippling outwards from it and pushing both Cloud and Tifa backwards away from him.

“Barret!” Tifa called to the man over her shoulder, still firing at Rude in the chopper. “Little help over here!”

Barret nodded. “You got it!”

Reno evaded a shower of bullet as they descended across the platform, righting himself again a few metres away. He looked at Cloud and grimaced.

“Thought you wanted a rematch!” Reno called.

Cloud glared at him. “And I thought you wanted to fight fair.”

“Fair, huh?” Reno grinned. “Rude, you hearing this?”

Rude’s voice cut in through Reno’s earpiece. _“Loud and clear.”_

“Then let’s give these losers something to keep ‘em busy.”

Reno braced himself as an explosion rocked the tower, dropped from Rude’s chopper darting deftly through the air above. Tifa and Cloud struggled to stand, and as Cloud regained his balance he called back over to Barret.

“Barret! Can you take that bird down?”

Barret laughed. “Oh, _hell_ yeah! Leave it to me!”

Reno watched with sudden horror as fire coalesced at the end of Barret’s gun and shot outwards like some sort of comet trailing red. It slammed into the side of the chopper and the engine ruptured, blades spinning wildly in the air as the helicopter began to drop in the air.

_“Rude!”_ Reno yelled, heart thudding.

The chopper careered towards the tower, trailing smoke, and Reno barely had the time to roll out of the way as it crashed into the metal flooring in a burst of flame. Shards of debris scattered out in all directions, whipping through Reno’s jacket and slicing across his exposed skin. He coughed, feeling dazed, smoke searing his lungs, and reached to where a pair of Rude’s shades had landed on the grate in front of him.

“Dammit…” Anger boiled in his veins. Oh, _now_ this was personal, all right.

Reno staggered to his feet, gripping the shades tight. His gaze focused on where Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were stood further off, picking him out in the wreckage. As he looked, Reno felt a hand on his shoulder, and relief washed over him at the familiar, reassuring squeeze.

“Clipped your wings, huh?” he joked half-heartedly.

Rude chuckled from behind him. “I was planning to join you, anyway.”

“Any landing ya can walk away from.” Reno shrugged and turned to face Avalanche again, seeing Rude pull on a set of gloves by his side. “C’mon, let’s teach ‘em the Turks’ two-step.”

Rude nodded as Avalanche prepared to engage. “Rules?”

Reno narrowed his eyes. “Cloud’s mine.”

“Copy that.”

It’d been a while since Reno had felt this good. No Shinra bullshit, no putting on an act – just fighting as hard as he could for as long as he could against someone who wasn’t holding back. Tifa and Barret combined were an even match for Rude, but even Reno could tell he was going easy on Tifa, taking her out of the fight for a few long stretches at a time with a serious of quick-fire paralytic strikes.

But Reno had his own hands full with Cloud. Both of them were beginning to tire and Reno could see at last see the opening he’d been trying to create. Cloud swung wide and Reno darted in, slamming the nightstick down on Cloud’s lower back. Cloud cried out, stumbling forwards, and Reno brought the nightstick in again, this time on the back of his knees. Cloud buckled, and with a final pulse of electricity, the Buster Sword clattered out of his hands to the ground.

Reno grinned, panting, and warned Cloud’s hands away from the sword with a pointed flick of the nightstick.

“Oh no ya don’t,” he advised. “Not if you wanna keep your fingers.”

Cloud grit his teeth and withdrew, body still shuddering from the electric pulse that had shot through it. Reno brought the nightstick round to trace under the line of Cloud’s jaw, tilting his head up to look him in the eye. Cloud glared at him, irises glimmering with Mako.

This was it. He’d won. As far as Reno was concerned, his personal score with Cloud was settled. But he had orders. Tseng had made that very clear when they’d been issued this mission only a few hours ago.

Reno hesitated, still breathless from the fight, and stared into Cloud’s eyes. Cloud held the stare unblinkingly, his hands curled into fists by his side. Unable to stop it, Reno’s mind flitted back four years to Cloud buried under white bedsheets and those once-blue eyes crinkled up at the corners in a smile. A trace of fingertips against his torso. A last kiss that Reno would come to regret hadn’t lasted much, much longer than it did.

Reno felt his knuckles tighten around the nightstick. He didn’t want to do this. He _couldn’t_ do this. After four years of trying to keep Cloud alive, he was going to, what? Kill him in cold blood? Just so that Cloud wasn’t gunned down later to the applause of a few Shinra executives? Reno felt his stomach tense at the thought. But then what was the alternative? President Shinra knew that Cloud had escaped Nibelheim – the last survivor. The last person to buy out or dispose of. And since buying out wasn’t an option, that left only one thing. Now that Cloud was back in Midgar, Reno knew with every fibre of his being that Shinra wouldn’t let him back out again alive. It was only a matter of time before they found him.

“Coward,” Cloud challenged, snapping Reno from his thoughts. “Do it. Or are you still at Shinra’s beck and call?”

Reno snarled at the insult and jabbed the nightstick harder under Cloud’s jaw. “You don’t know what the _hell_ you’re talking about.”

Something in Reno’s tone must have resonated with Cloud, because his expression changed, then. His hands slackened by his sides and he glanced away briefly, as if remembering something. Reno watched him steadily, doing everything in his power not to let his conflicting feelings show.

“Listen to me,” Cloud said quietly, turning back to meet Reno’s gaze. “You don’t have to do this. You’re going to hurt a lot of people if you do.”

“Ya don’t think I know that?” Guilt burned in Reno’s chest.

“I think you don’t want to disobey. I get it. I’ve been there. But… you’ve done the right thing before. I’ve seen it. Back at the church. You stopped them shooting at us.”

“At Aerith, maybe,” Reno corrected him sharply, feeling his pulse quicken at the lie.

“No.” Cloud held his gaze steadily. “At _us_.”

Reno’s eyes stung. His chest hurt. It was taking most of his remaining energy just to steady his shaking hands. Reno held the nightstick against Cloud’s throat for another agonisingly long moment… and then dropped his arm, feeling overwhelmed. He couldn’t do it. After everything Cloud had been through, Reno knew he couldn’t kill him like this. Like he was nothing. Like they hadn’t just spent years trying to _protect_ him from Shinra. Like Cloud didn’t still send little flutters through his chest whenever he looked his way. Not with all the President’s wrath behind the order could Reno end Cloud’s life.

“Get outta here,” he said slowly, as Cloud got back to his feet. “And take your buddies if ya want. But you ain’t stopping us from dropping the plate.”

Cloud’s tone hardened. “You know I can’t let you do that.”

Reno heard the scrape of metal and brought his nightstick up just in time to block a swing of the Buster Sword in his direction. This time, when he looked Cloud in the eye, there was a flicker of uncertainty across his face. They broke apart, Reno flipping away from Cloud’s next blow and landing too late to realise a bolt of energy hit the ground from where the Buster Sword struck. It hit him full force and he cried out, backing off, clutching his arm.

“Last chance,” Cloud warned. “We’re not running.”

“What a _shame_ ,” Reno snapped, straightening up. “’Cause neither are _we_.”

Reno shot forwards, summoning a beam of electricity to the nightstick and lobbing it Cloud’s way. Cloud threw up a hand and a rippling barrier of energy materialised in the air in front of him, sending the electric beam scattering off of it into the dark. In the same second, Reno felt the air turn cold around him, and looked upwards to see a huge shard of ice appear above him. Panicked, he made to roll out of the way, but the pain in his arm made him double over it protectively. He knew he’d made a fatal mistake as when the ice dropped, it shattered, sending slivers shooting outwards that tore up through Reno’s clothes and embedded themselves into his skin. He cried out, thrown forwards in the blast, and cracked his skull off of the metal flooring.

Instantly Reno’s vision swam. He struggled to try and get his bearings, breathing raggedly, and reached for where his nightstick had rolled away in front of him. The thick blade of the Buster Sword as it came down inches from his face made him freeze.

Reno looked up. Cloud stood a safe distance away, pointing the sword at his cheek.

“No more games. How do we stop it?”

Reno held up his hands in surrender and leant back, feeling a darkness come over the edges of his vision. His whole body shook with the effort of staying awake and he could feel a sort of fog come over his mind as his body slowly shut down. There was some kind of comfort in knowing that at least now, he wouldn’t have to push the button at all. Maybe Rude would. Or maybe the plate wouldn’t fall at all, and he might actually get some sleep at night without it adding to the growing weight of his slowly declining conscience.

“Who knows?” Reno answered truthfully, rolling away onto his back and closing his eyes. “I’m just a lapdog, after all.”

Reno heard footsteps echo across the metal sheeting as Cloud sprinted away, and then let the blissful ignorance of unconsciousness usher him away to somewhere quiet and dark.


	6. Liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I try to keep my secrets, but I must admit,   
> Sometimes I drink my feelings, so I can let you in,  
> Memories bleeding, when you touch my skin."  
> \- Bad Liar, Krewella.

When Reno next came to, he was lying on a stretcher in the back of an emergency paramedic helicopter flying out across the upper plate. He made to sit up but the ache in his body forced him back down again. Rude leant over him, one hand on the top of his head.

“Hey, partner. You okay?”

Reno winced, vision still a little patchy. “What happened?”

“I finished the mission.” There was an air of finality in Rude’s voice. “The plate’s gone.”

Reno’s chest tightened. “And Avalanche?”

“I don’t know. They were still down there when I got you out.”

Reno fumbled a hand across to Rude’s jacket and pushed against him purposefully. Rude nodded and stood up, stepping through and exchanging a few words with the pilot. When he came back and sat down, his expression was tight.

“Apparently Shinra are sending medics to look for survivors. If they’re down there, they’ll find them.”

Reno coughed and nodded. “What about Reeve? He get most folks out okay?”

Rude made to answer and then looked away, mouth settling into a firm line. Reno took a moment for the realisation to settle in, and then nodded slowly, feeling a knife of guilt and no small amount of dismay lodge itself into his gut. In silence he reached out and grasped Rude’s hand, and they sat like that until the chopper landed atop Shinra HQ. Rude helped Reno up off of the stretcher and they limped out of the helicopter, only pausing to turn and let Reno see the view from above when he asked to.

Sector 7 was gone. In its place was a burning mass of rubble, glowing red in the darkness. The distant wail of sirens permeated the air, even from all the way up here. It was like a portal to hell itself had opened up in Midgar and swallowed Sector 7 whole.

And, in part, Reno knew he was responsible for that.

He stared, thinking back to what Rude had implied in the chopper with regards to Reeve, and allowed himself to be dragged away inside the building. His thoughts were muddled and erratic. There was so much to think about, and Reno didn’t want to confront any of it. So he didn’t. He shut it out and stared ahead, focusing solely on getting to B3. Tseng was waiting for them there alongside a medic when they arrived, who checked over the both of them before vanishing again.

“Good work,” Tseng said curtly. “Sector 7 is completely destroyed. However–”

“Fucking save it, Tseng,” Reno snapped, one arm slung over Rude’s shoulder.

“Excuse me?” Tseng raised an eyebrow.

Rude’s grip on Reno tightened, but he didn’t try to stop him. “Man, you weren’t there. You’re _never_ there. Have you been outside? Seen it for yourself?”

Tseng’s expression darkened. “I assure you, Reno, I’ve done my fair share of field work in this career.”

“You know that ain’t what I’m asking.” Reno’s words were laced in venom. “Reeve. Where is he?”

“He didn’t make it down in time.”

“So evacuations–”

“Did not occur.”

The statement hung in the air for a long beat. Reno stared Tseng down unflinchingly.

“You knew, didn’t you?”

Tseng did not respond.

“You _knew_ the President was lying,” Reno snarled, “and you did _nothing?”_

“No.” Tseng’s tone was icy. “As far as I was aware, Reeve had been informed. Nevertheless, I knew that by the time we contacted him, he would have been too late to save anyone and he himself might have been harmed in trying to get down there. But I also knew, if I were to tell _you_ that, then the mission would have undoubtedly failed. I do notice things, Reno, like how whenever Strife is involved, our plans seem to mysteriously go awry.”

Reno would have punched Tseng if he’d had the strength. “So you – what? Flew around a while, had a laugh at our expense, and then came back to the office for a martini?”

“I encountered an issue of my own. Thanks to your efforts tonight, I was able to at last secure the Ancient and return her to Shinra’s custody.”

Reno stared at him, already too overwhelmed with emotion for that statement to properly register. “What?”

Tseng nodded. “As we speak Aerith is being transported to Professor Hojo’s lab for testing. All in all, despite a few minor hiccups, I would say tonight was an unquestionable success for Shinra.”

_Testing_. Reno felt a physical reaction to the word, suddenly struck with the image of bubbly, smiling Aerith stuffed into one of Hojo’s Mako tanks. Just like Zack and Cloud had been.

“And orders for the rest of the night?” Rude asked, before Reno could say anything else.

“Reports are that some members of Avalanche were seen fleeing Sector 7 shortly before the plate fell. I want you and Reno to return to Sector 7 and look for any signs of where they might have headed.”

Reno’s anger eased a little, hearing that Cloud might be safe. There was a lot of things Reno would come to regret about tonight, but he knew even then that going after Avalanche would not be one of them. He nodded to Tseng and then looked to Rude.

“Then let’s get outta here.”

Tseng regarded him curiously. “Report back to me if you find anything of use.”

XXX

By the time that Reno and Rude returned to Sector 7, there was very little left worth saving. Fires across the city formed a wall of smoke that rose like a thick black curtain up into the sky. As the chopper broke down through the initial smog, they found a world of ash and ruin underneath; collapsed buildings, burst waterways, everything that used to be something reduced to piles of rubble indistinguishable from one another in a haze of smoke and embers. Rude brought the chopper in low and then hovered, clearing his throat.

“We ain’t gonna find Avalanche down here.” It wasn’t a question.

A slow grin formed at the corners of Reno’s mouth. “That so?”

“Mhm.” Rude nodded and handed Reno his nightstick. “You’ve got an hour. I’ll take a look around, see if there’s any survivors needing a hand. Meet me back here if you can.”

Reno grabbed the nightstick out of Rude’s outstretched hand and kissed his cheek. “You got it, partner.”

Rude chuckled as Reno made for the chopper door. Instantly Reno was hit with the reek of smoke as the door slid back. Covering his face with the crook of his arm, he hopped down onto the ground and turned to wave at Rude. Rude nodded and manoeuvred the chopper back up into the air, fast disappearing into the night.

It suddenly felt very quiet. The only noise was the creak of precarious debris and the crack of things splitting from the heat. Reno winced against the smoke and headed off in the only direction not blocked by rubble.

Signs lay half-submerged in the dirt. Household belongings were crushed into the ground. Things that once meant everything to someone were now nothing more than fuel for the fires still raging across the ruined sector. Reno felt something tug at his heart. He knew what it was like to have nothing, and now he’d forced these people to know that pain too.

“Focus, dammit,” Reno muttered under his breath. “We ain’t here for you.”

Ten minutes or so ticked by as he skirted collapsed buildings and climbed over fragments of fallen plate. And then he began to hear voices, angry, but unhurt. Reno strained to hear, falling back into the shadows to watch from around the corner as he laid eyes at last on survivors.

It was Tifa. She jogged past where Reno hid, a tortoiseshell cat running a few paces ahead of her. Reno frowned, pulling back sharply as the unexpected figures of Barret and Cloud followed behind her.

Bingo.

“I think it wants us to follow it!” Tifa said. “This way!”

Reno gave it a few seconds and then ducked out of the shadows, following a few paces behind the group. He was relieved to see that for the most part, aside from some bruises and smoke, Cloud didn’t look too badly injured. Reno tailed them to a huge hole in the ground where exposed wires and metal stuck out of its edges at odd angles. The cat leapt down, and Cloud, without a second thought, slid down after it.

“Hey!” Barret called, as Tifa made to follow. “We’re coming down! Stay right where you are!”

Reno watched Barret and Tifa clamber down into the hole and then slipped after them, watching from the opening as they disappeared into the gloom below. Reno squinted to make out the cavern the wreckage had uncovered; metal flooring, solid support beams – just what the hell was down there?

When Reno could be sure he wouldn’t be spotted, he climbed carefully into the hole as well, wincing at the strain on his injuries from earlier. They weren’t as bad as the one Cloud had given him in the church, but it might have done to get a bit of healing before he’d left Shinra HQ. Screw it. Too late to turn back now.

“Hmph. This place reeks of Shinra.”

Barret’s voice drifted up from further inside. Reno slunk down into the shadows, continuing after their group from a safe distance behind. He glanced around, taking in more of the facility that was being revealed. The cold grey interior, the steel flooring – Reno immediately felt uneasy. Barret was right. This place _was_ Shinra, and judging from the look of it alone, it was one of Hojo’s old laboratories.

“ _Wedge_?”

Tifa sounded relieved. Reno hung back and watched the group run out onto the metal grate flooring, adjacent to the figure of someone passed out on the floor. But just as they reached for him, the whole sector seemed to shake. Reno put out a hand against the earth passage to steady himself and looked down in time to hear the shriek of metal on metal as the grate flooring the group had stepped out on gave way.

Reno acted on impulse. He leapt forwards, running out onto the secure part of the walkway and thrusting out a hand in time to wrap around another one as it fell.

Mako eyes. Cloud gazed up at Reno, shocked, and Reno braced hard against the walkway’s edge, struggling to keep a grip on Cloud. Tifa and Barret disappeared into the darkness below with a clatter, but Reno held on, knuckles straining against the leather of his gloves. His whole body screamed at the effort, cuts from their earlier encounter reopening under duress.

“Just hold on, alright?” Reno managed, scrabbling to get a grip with his other hand on Cloud’s arm. “Fuck, you’re heavy.”

And Cloud just stared up at Reno, expression caught somewhere between surprise and rage. Reno wondered for a beat that if he managed to get Cloud back onto solid ground then Cloud might just decide to kill him anyway. But he didn’t need to live out that possibility as another tremor rocked Sector 7, and with a horrible sensation of ripping metal, the rest of the walkway under Reno gave way and both him and Cloud plummeted into the darkness below.

XXX

Reno blinked open his eyes to a concrete tunnel. The air was thick with dust down here and his vision blurred as an intense pain filtered into his consciousness. His head pounded and there was something that stung sharply whenever he breathed in. He reached to feel for any injuries, but the shock of cold steel against his cheek made him freeze.

Reno looked up. Cloud stood above him, Buster Sword pointed at the side of his head, his expression cold as ice. Reno groaned and leant back down against the floor, exhausted.

“Man, if you’re gonna kill me, just kill me. I’m getting real tired of this shit.”

Cloud didn’t move. “You dropped a whole plate on the slums. Do you know how many people died tonight? Because of you?”

“Because of _Shinra_ ,” Reno snapped. “Look, as far as I knew, folks were gonna get evacuated before it fell. No-one told _me_ that order hadn’t gone through. But I get it. You’re pissed. Hell, I’m pissed too. So if you really wanna get this over with – go ahead and be my guest.”

The challenge hung in the air between them. Reno’s eyes slid down to where Cloud’s grip on the Buster Sword wavered, ever so slightly. After a long minute, Reno sighed.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

He deemed it safe to sit up, wincing hard as pain flashed through his chest and something audibly creaked. He looked down his shirt at where a protrusion against his side was just visible, slowly turning a nasty shade of purple. _Broken ribs_ , he thought, and turned to spit blood onto the concrete. _Just my luck_.

Cloud hadn’t moved, instead following Reno’s movements with the tip of the sword. “You… didn’t know?”

“No, I didn’t know,” Reno said. “You really think we woulda dropped the plate thinking that everyone underneath it would get crushed? Must really have a low opinion of us, huh. We Turks ain’t always assholes, ya know.”

Cloud flinched at the words; taking one hand off of the Buster Sword to graze it lightly against his temple, eyes closing briefly as if he was suddenly struck by some sort of discomfort. Reno studied his face, worry stirring in the pit of his stomach, aware that the only noise echoing through the tunnel they’d fallen into was the sound of his own ragged breathing.

“Hey,” Reno reached forwards, concerned. “You okay?”

Cloud seemed to shake off whatever had affected him and pulled away from Reno sharply, slotting the Buster Sword back onto the magnetic harness across his back. Reno curled his hand back into his chest and tried to act as if the mere movement towards Cloud hadn’t sent agony through his body. Cloud turned his back and looked off down the other end of the passage.

“You’re a Turk. Why did you try to help me?”

The question caught Reno off-guard. “I…” he struggled to form an answer, so instead tried to deflect. “Does it even matter? We’re stuck down here together now. Might not be ideal, but it’s happened, alright? So let’s just focus on getting outta here.”

Reno pushed off of the ground and cried out at the sudden pressure on his ribs as he staggered to his feet. Cloud turned around sharply, eyes narrowed, taking in Reno’s injuries. Reno put a hand out to feel for the nearest wall and leant against it heavily, breathing shallowly, feeling like each inhalation was a knife through his chest.

“Can you even walk?” Cloud asked dubiously.

Reno nodded and took a step forward. Agony burned through his torso instantly like fire and he bit down on a shriek of pain, squeezing shut his eyes and breathing through clenched teeth until the worst of it ebbed. When he opened his eyes again, the edges of his vision seemed to flicker. He glanced at Cloud, and was surprised to see genuine concern on his face.

“Mhm. Go on,” Reno said scathingly, “Now’s your best chance. Or dontcha wanna kill me anymore?”

Cloud hesitated. “I never said I wanted to kill you.”

“No?” Reno laughed mirthlessly, tasting blood in the back of his throat. “So, back at the church, you _weren’t_ aiming for my head?”

“I…” Cloud glanced away. “I thought you were going to hurt Aerith.”

“Right. And now?”

“Now… I don’t know what to think.”

Reno felt his arm begin to tremble and he let it relax, manoeuvring himself gently around to rest his back against the wall instead. It helped a little with the pain by easing pressure off of his damaged ribs. The raggedness of his breathing had morphed into something of a pained wheeze, not an altogether pleasant sound, and he wiped away a trickle of blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth. He put a hand out to feel his chest and withdrew it sharply, sensing the distended skin under his shirt.

“Well, I ain’t going nowhere, not like this.” Reno waved a hand towards the left of the tunnel. “Fact, I’ll probably not make it topside at all. If you don’t want a guilty conscious about killing me yourself, Mister 1st Class, there’s nothing stopping ya just leaving me here.”

Cloud stared at Reno for a long beat. Reno watched him carefully, trying to judge if Cloud was considering the proposal seriously. But ever since Nibelheim, Cloud had got much harder to read. Eventually Reno gave up and closed his eyes again, deciding that it was a much better use of his energy to try and steady his breathing instead. A scuff of boots against the concrete floor made him open one eye lazily to check what was going on, and then he opened both in surprise when he realised Cloud was striding purposefully towards him. Reno flinched away when he felt Cloud’s gloves brush against his arm, hand outstretched. 

Cloud looked at him, his expression indecipherable. “I can help,” he said quietly, gesturing to Reno’s ribs.

Reno held that stare for a beat longer, searching for any signs of falsity. Finding none, he nodded slowly, feeling his heart quicken. Cloud slipped off his gloves and unbuckled Reno’s jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and then took his waist in his hands. Reno watched him, feeling suddenly vulnerable. This was the closest they’d come to one another in four years without dealing blows. Where Cloud’s bare fingers brushed his skin it almost seemed to burn, and not from the pain of his injuries. His hands were rougher than Reno remembered, but there was still that gentleness to them that he’d found so endearing all those years ago.

Reno didn’t want to admit it, but he was finding fragments of that Cloud with each passing moment they spent together. Buried, sure, but still there. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel like getting his hopes up would just be setting himself up for another fall.

Cloud’s eyelids flickered closed and a soft green glow emanated from his fingertips; the glow echoed over his shoulder where the Cure Materia had activated from within its slot on the Buster Sword. Warmth radiated out from the injured ribs. Reno bit his lip as the bones snapped back into place with a sharp crack, and when Cloud opened his eyes, there was no longer any pain when Reno breathed in.

Cloud dropped his hands but didn’t step away. “I… can’t do more. I used up most of my energy earlier tonight.”

It took Reno a few shaky breaths for him to find his voice, mind suddenly entangled with memories of the last time he’d been held with such care.

“Yeah. I remember.”

The moment drew on. Cloud stood just close enough that if Reno reached out with his hand, his fingers would brush his torso. But he didn’t. He just looked into Cloud’s eyes, watched the Mako shift and move around in them like stardust, and wished not for the first time that they were nothing but that cool cerulean blue that he remembered so clearly from the night they’d first met.

Cloud broke the silence, voice unsure. “You’re staring.”

“That so bad?” Reno tried to calm his quickening heart. “It’s rare I get to see Mako eyes up close.”

“They’re nothing special. All SOLDIERs have them.”

“Mhm. You ain’t wrong. But do ya remember what colour they used to be?”

Cloud opened his mouth to reply and then stopped, confusion written all over his face. Reno flirted with the idea of telling Cloud _I do_ , but he knew neither of them were ready for that conversation just yet. Instead, he just held Cloud’s gaze, drinking in every little movement in his face, grateful that, at last, it seemed they’d reached some sort of agreement, a ceasefire, however temporary it might be.

Eventually Cloud just grit his teeth and glanced away, apparently frustrated at his own lack of memory. Reno leant off of the wall and into Cloud’s space, smiling slyly. Cloud turned back to look at him with surprise.

“So, Mister 1st Class – you got a plan?”

Cloud huffed and turned away, wandering into the middle of the tunnel. Reno watched him go, busying himself with doing up his shirt and jacket so that his idle fingers didn’t reach for the person who’d just turned his back.

Cloud looked back and forth, scanning the light fixtures fitted into the tunnel above their heads. “Where are we?”

“Must be one of the old Shinra research labs under Sector 7. They’ve been abandoned for years.”

“Any idea how to get out of here?”

Reno shrugged. “These old labs were built in circuits over a few different floors. If we keep walking, we’ll find a way out eventually.”

Cloud took off down the tunnel, leaving Reno to scramble to keep up after him. The Cure had worked wonders on the broken ribs, but as Reno had just discovered, hadn’t purged the lingering injuries from their fight atop the support pillar. He poked his cheek, feeling it still sting with cuts, and winced. Cloud had really done a number on him.

They reached a fork in the tunnels. Cloud, after a long beat, chose the left. Reno followed, sticking his hands into his pockets in an attempt to look casual. In actual fact, his mind couldn’t shake the feeling of Cloud’s hands around his waist. That tenderness in his touch that had been there the first time they’d got close, and then again every time after. Reno’s eyes followed Cloud’s shoulders as he strode on ahead. Maybe there was some of that naïve young Trooper left in there after all.

“So Avalanche, huh?” Reno asked, catching up to Cloud. “Bet that was an easy decision.”

Cloud didn’t look at him. “Easy money, maybe.”

“Really? No personal motivation in there for ya?”

“Should there be?”

“Oh, I dunno, man – maybe getting the chance to screw over the company that plugged you into a Mako tank for three years and then murdered your best friend?”

Cloud stopped dead in the tunnel and bent double, clutching at his head and gritting his teeth, breaths coming in quick and fast. Reno froze, immediately unsure about what to do. This seemed like Cloud’s earlier reaction, but so much worse. The way his gloved fingers dug into his scalp like he was in physical pain sent flickers of concern through Reno. Fair enough, he could have phrased that sentence better, but he certainly hadn’t expected such a visceral reaction to it as this.

“Hey,” Reno prompted softly, reaching out and grazing his fingers across Cloud’s upper arm. “What’s going on?”

Cloud started at the contact and looked up, eyes refocusing when he found Reno. Reno stared, for a minute completely overwhelmed by the glimpse of vertical pupils that reminded him far too much of someone they had all done well to try and forget. After a beat Cloud shook his head and straightened up, taking slow, controlled breaths, his eyes reverting back to normal.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly, and before Reno could argue the point, began walking off down the tunnel again.

Reno took off after him. “The hell? That didn’t _look_ fine. You sure you’re–”

“I said I’m _fine_ ,” Cloud snapped, shooting Reno a dark look.

Reno nodded slowly and held up his hands. “Alright, alright. Geez. Get a load of tough guy over here. Just checking in, was all.”

“Why do you even care what happens to me?”

It was on the tip of Reno’s tongue to reply _Because I’ve spent the last four years caring what happens to you_ , but judging from Cloud’s earlier outbursts, he reasoned that somehow that might not go down so well. So instead he shrugged and offered Cloud the usual party line.

“Because Shinra’s got interests in ya. Why else?”

Cloud nodded. “Right. An ex-SOLDIER fighting alongside Avalanche can’t have looked so good for them on national television.”

“Yeah. A real spanner in the works, that’s for sure.”

There was the tiniest hint of triumph in Cloud’s tone. “Good.”

The tunnel widened out into the entrance of an underground facility. Underlit in blue emergency lighting, they looked out across where a maze of metal staircases and platforms rose and fell throughout a hollowed-out stone cavern. At the far side, there looked to be a door set back into the wall.

“Now we’re talking,” Reno said, and started off ahead of Cloud.

Cloud followed on behind, and they’d made it halfway across one of the closer platforms when the caverns shook, debris scattering down from the ceiling, and the sound of an inhuman roar echoed down from the tunnels behind them. Reno and Cloud exchanged a look and picked up the pace, making it across the platform and up another set of stairs before they encountered trouble. Two mutant dogs leapt onto the crosswalk in front of them, tails whipping to and fro, jaws dripping with saliva. Cloud immediately unsheathed the Buster Sword and then glanced at Reno.

“You gonna be any good for this?”

“I woulda been better if you hadn’t beat the shit outta me an hour ago,” Reno said sarcastically, “but yeah, I’ll be just _fine_.” He pulled out his nightstick and pointed it at the nearest dog. “This one’s mine.”

Cloud nodded and swung forwards with his sword, catching the dog on the right as it lunged for him. Blood spattered across the metal grate flooring and Reno ducked back as the dog in front of him jumped, narrowly missing Reno’s leg with its teeth. Reno spun and caught its shoulder as it made to circle past, sending a bolt of electricity up into its body. The dog growled and darted away, twitching as the electricity shot through its nerves. In the opening it gave him, Reno corrected an old mistake and used it to glance over and check on Cloud.

The Buster Sword shredded through the other dog’s torso and sent a burst of gore backwards away from Cloud as the dog collapsed, dead. Satisfied Cloud was alright, Reno turned just in time to see his dog leaping towards him with jaws open wide. Reno cursed and tried too late to dodge as the full weight of the dog slammed into him, throwing him backwards down onto the floor. Huge teeth gnashed together inches from Reno’s face and he flailed forwards with the nightstick, lodging it into the dog’s mouth to stop the teeth from reaching his throat.

Reno felt the breath forced from his lungs by the pressure of the dog on top of him and he pushed back hard, not able to get enough leverage to throw it off from where he lay trapped underneath it. But he didn’t need to. There was a sudden release of pressure and thick spray of blood as Cloud drove the Buster Sword through the dog’s neck and sliced its head clean off. Reno took his chance to scramble out from under the body as it collapsed onto the floor.

“You alright?” Cloud asked, looking to where Reno stood, panting, a few feet away.

Reno wiped the gore off of his face and glared at Cloud. “Could be better.”

Cloud seemed slightly amused by Reno’s discomfort. “You could at least say thank you. I just saved your life.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. In fact, that’s the second time tonight.”

Reno blushed. “Whaddaya want, a prize? Get off my tits.”

Cloud rolled his eyes and flicked the blood off of his sword before lodging it onto his back again. Reno grumbled and did his best to scrape off the worst of the dog’s guts from his clothes before following after Cloud up the stairs. Halfway to the top, they paused, hearing that roar rumble throughout the cavern again.

“Any guesses as to what that is?” Cloud asked.

“Nope. And I ain’t about to stick around to find out.”

They pressed on, pushing through the door at the opposite side of the room and stepping into another concrete tunnel like the one they’d landed in to begin with. As they walked, Reno pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Cloud cast Reno a sideways glance as he fell back to walk alongside him.

“Save the lecture, pretty boy,” Reno said with a sigh. “I already heard it from the Ancient.”

Cloud raised his eyebrows. “You mean Aerith?”

“Yup.”

“What do the Turks want with her?”

Reno took a drag on the cigarette. “It ain’t what _we_ want, it’s what _Shinra_ wants. The President thinks Aerith can lead them to the Cetra’s ‘promised land’ or whatever. If you ask me, it’s all bullshit. I mean, what proof is there it even exists?”

Cloud seemed to take a long moment to process this information, and then asked measuredly, “Any chance you can get a message to her?”

“From you?”

Cloud nodded. “Tell her… tell her I’m gonna come get her.”

Reno chuckled mirthlessly. “Sure ya are. Whatcha gonna do, storm the castle? One man army? Pssh. But yeah, whatever. I’ll pass it on.” He blew out a cloud of smoke. “At least it’ll give me another chance to kick your ass.”

“Ditto.”

“What’s your deal with Aerith, anyways?” Reno took another drag on the cigarette. “Didn’t know you two were such good buddies.”

“We aren’t. But I know what it’s like to be stuck in a cage without knowing if there’s a rescue on the way.”

Reno slowed and Cloud turned around, watching him carefully. Reno didn’t want to trigger another… _whatever_ that was that had happened earlier with Cloud, but at the same time, he felt like he needed to apologise. And Reno was bad at that. Apologising. But now that Cloud had said that, Reno couldn’t get the image of him suspended in Mako under Shinra Manor back out of his mind.

“I…” Reno palmed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Listen, I need to, uh… _fuck_ , I don’t know how to say this, man. Just – I’m sorry, okay? I did my best. It wasn’t enough. And – and I’m sorry.”

Cloud stared at Reno for a long moment, wholly confused. “For what?”

“Just…” Reno waved a hand about vaguely in the air. “All of it. Whatever you remember. Whatever you blame me for. If you _still_ blame me. I just needed to let you know.”

The silence was deafening. Reno glanced up and took in Cloud’s confused expression, the way his brows had knitted together and his eyes searched Reno’s face for any sign of insincerity. But finding nothing which suggested Reno might be lying, Cloud took a step towards him.

“Have… have we met before?”

Reno felt his heart lodge up into his throat. He didn’t say anything, just stared back at Cloud, struck by a sudden desperation to remind him of everything he seemed to have forgotten. Sector 5. Cloud’s apartment. Nibelheim. Hojo’s lab. But he didn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He felt his fingers ball up into a fist and crush his fingernails tight into the skin of his palm. This was Cloud’s decision to make. Not his. Reno had fucked around in Cloud’s life way too much as it was. This was one thing knew he should let Cloud handle himself.

Cloud continued carefully. “And I don’t mean in the church, I…” he struggled, drawing on fragments of memory that might no longer have even been there. “I just… I feel like… you…” He shook his head, visibly overwhelmed. “Nevermind. Let’s just go.”

Reno watched him walk away and raised the cigarette to his lips, taking a shaky drag to ease his racing heart. _He knows_ , Reno thought. It was oddly comforting. _Some part of him remembers._

Their dynamic slowly seemed to shift, after that. When Cloud spoke, his tone had dropped its defensiveness, its bladed edge. There was still a little animosity between them, but whatever Cloud had been getting at earlier was clearly affecting his behaviour. Even Reno could see that, and he couldn’t help but feel a little thankful that it had. Questions burned in the back of Reno’s mind – what truly had happened at Nibelheim, the missing year with Zack – but he pushed them away for now. It was enough that Cloud was beginning to warm to him. Everything else, Reno hoped, might come with time.

They made their way further through the underground lab, dodging debris and collapsed sections of tunnel that had obviously been dislodged when the plate fell. When they came to a huge hole in the floor that stretched away down into the darkness below, Reno took one look at it and shook his head.

“Nope. I’m out. No way we’re making it over that. Should turn back and look for another way through.”

Cloud regarded the hole for a few seconds, took a couple of steps back, and made a run at it. Reno watched incredulously as Cloud leapt the gap and landed on the other side as effortlessly as if he’d just stepped over a missing floorboard. Reno folded his arms and glared at him across the hole.

“Well, I sure as hell can’t jump like that.” Reno waved a hand indignantly in the air. “No Mako enhancements here, remember?”

“You’ll be fine,” Cloud called back unsympathetically. “It’s not that far.”

Reno grumbled and shook himself, flicking away the last of his cigarette. He took a step back. And then another one. And the hole loomed in front of him like a giant, abyssal mouth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This certainly wasn’t the dumbest thing he’d ever done to impress a guy, but it sure felt like it could have been avoided.

Reno ran at the hole full tilt and when his foot hit the crumbled edge of the floor he jumped. There was a long moment of weightlessness as he passed the halfway point, and then the other edge seemed to rush up to meet him at an alarming speed and still much too far away for it to be doing so. He realised with no small amount of terror that he wasn’t going to make it. Reno let out a cry as the ledge passed him by and he saw the darkness below open wide.

The breath got knocked out of Reno’s lungs as he felt himself jar to a halt. He looked up. Cloud was down on one knee, arm outstretched, muscles tensed, one hand wrapped around Reno’s wrist.

“I got you,” he said, straining against Reno’s entire weight dangling down into the hole. “C’mon. Give me your other hand.”

Reno reached up and scrambled for Cloud’s arm, gripping on tightly, and let himself be hauled up. The irony of this situation wasn’t lost on Reno. He just hoped it would not perfectly parallel their earlier predicament, and any second now the rest of the floor would give way. Cloud pulled hard, a low sort of growl escaping his lips at the effort, and Reno felt himself tumble forwards as Cloud’s footing slipped. The next thing Reno knew, he was lying on top of Cloud, arms entangled together, both of them safely on the other side of the drop.

Cloud blinked up at him. “You okay?”

Reno stared at Cloud for a long beat, consciously aware of their bodies pressed tightly together, and that Cloud was making no moves to shake Reno off.

“Could be better,” Reno shot back, intending the phrase to sound joking, imitating his use of it earlier, but it instead came out a little breathy. 

“Third times the charm.” Cloud’s eyes flickered briefly down to Reno’s lips and then back up to his eyes again. “Do I get a ‘thank you’, now?”

Reno felt his breath snag in his throat and he blushed scarlet. “Nope. Now get off of me.”

“I think you’re the one who–”

“Yeah, yeah, save it, Mister 1st Class.”

Reno pushed off of Cloud, getting to his feet and dusting himself off to distract himself from just how badly he’d wanted to kiss him. Cloud followed suit in a much more relaxed manner, eyes watching Reno evenly from a respectable distance away.

“You can call me Cloud, you know.”

Reno looked up. “Huh?”

“You keep calling me ‘Mister 1st Class’. I’m not SOLDIER, not anymore.” Cloud paused. “My name is Cloud.”

There was a tenderness to Cloud’s tone that made Reno’s heart ache. “Uh… right.”

“And…” Cloud bit his lip. “I don’t think I, uh, ever got your name.”

Reno hesitated for a beat, surprised, and then nodded. “It’s Reno.”

“Reno.” Cloud tried it out. “Alright.”

Hearing his name in Cloud’s mouth again was something Reno was not prepared for. His mind recalled the first time they’d met, under the lurid lighting of Wall Market; the soft smile on Cloud’s face, the brilliant blue of his eyes, the awkward acknowledgement of reciprocated interest. Reno balled his fists and looked away, trying to force it out of his head. But the memory lingered for longer than he’d have liked, in all its fleeting benevolence.

“Good job making it across,” Cloud said, breaking Reno’s thoughts as he gestured to the gap. “Although I thought a Turk would have done better.”

Reno blushed. “Easy for _you_ to say,” he said defensively. “I coulda _died.”_

“Yeah, but you didn’t.”

“Whatever,” Reno muttered, still blushing.

When he glanced up, he swore he caught the smallest hint of a smile at the corners of Cloud’s mouth. Recovered from the jump, they headed deeper into the facility, until they reached a long concrete wall with huge fans affixed to vents in front of them. The muffled noise of gunfire and the snarl of beasts became audible as they approached. Cloud and Reno exchanged a glance and crept up towards the vents, slowing down to peer through the slatted metal. 

Reno scanned the room below. A huge storage unit stacked with boxes appeared and the forms of creatures darted in between, skin thick like armour, patterned with glowing red lines. Reno recognised them immediately as Hojo’s failed SOLDIERs. He slid a sidelong glance at Cloud. If Cloud knew what they were, he didn’t let on. Cloud’s eyes were focused on the two humans amidst the mass of monsters below – Tifa, and Barret.

“Looks like we found your buddies,” Reno said, straightening up. “It doesn’t look good for them down there.”

Cloud nodded. “Stand back. I’m gonna make a path.”

Reno leapt backwards as Cloud brought the Buster Sword down on the metal vents. A few blows were enough to rip the old sheeting in two, carving a gap that Cloud made just wide enough to squeeze in through by kicking hard against it a couple times each side. He stepped through and then turned back to look at where Reno hovered behind him.

“You coming?”

Reno shook his head. “Nah. Don’t think your friends’ll be too happy to see me. I’ll, uh, find another way round. Won’t be too hard if they’re busy. Be like I’m not even there.”

Cloud hesitated a beat, and then nodded. “Guess you’re right.”

Neither of them moved. Reno sighed after a moment, feeling disappointment settle into his chest, and mock-saluted Cloud.

“Well, see ya.”

Reno turned to head off further down the passage and only stopped when he heard footsteps on the floor behind him and felt Cloud’s hand about his wrist. Reno turned back to see Cloud standing there, looking for all the world like he didn’t know what had just come over him.

“I…” Cloud dropped his wrist and rubbed the back of his head. “You gonna make it out okay?”

Reno stared. “What?”

A blush crept up to Cloud’s cheeks from his neck. “Nevermind,” he muttered, and turned to leave. “Just get out of here before Barret sees you, alright? Or else you’ll leave full of bullet holes.”

Reno watched in a daze as Cloud turned and climbed back through the vent. He waited, listening to the sound of Cloud’s boots on the grating as he jumped down into the room below, and then turned and continued walking down the passageway, gently thumbing the skin of his wrist where Cloud had grabbed it.

When he made it topside again, Rude brought the chopper down almost immediately.

“Where were you?” Rude said as Reno slid into the co-pilot’s seat. “Been well over an hour. Was getting worried. And why are you covered in blood?”

Reno shrugged. “Took a detour through the old labs. Met Avalanche. And then, uh… Cloud saved my ass. Like, three times.”

“He _what_?”

“Yeah.” Reno leant back in the chair and dug a hand into his pocket for the square of card he already knew wasn’t there. “It was just about the weirdest hour of my life.”


	7. Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “My heart is weak, tear it down piece by piece,  
> Leave me to think, deep in my structure,   
> I think I still love [him], but I need some sleep.”   
> – Demons, Jacob Lee.

They landed back at Shinra HQ and Reno made immediately for Tseng’s desk in B3 where he was sitting signing papers.

“Yo. I wanna see Aerith.”

Tseng raised an eyebrow. “Why in the world do you want to see Aerith?”

“Because I wanna check that creep Hojo isn’t sticking her full of needles already. Don’t _you_ wanna check on her?”

Tseng sighed and leant back in his seat. “That _is_ his job, Reno – well, more or less. But if you are insistent on visiting Aerith, you will not be able to do so while the Professor is still working. That rule, unfortunately, even I cannot break.”

“Makes it sound like you’ve tried,” Reno muttered under his breath, and then sighed loudly. “Fine. When can I see her?”

Tseng seemed to mull this over. “You will have to wait until the Professor is finished for the evening. He usually wraps up around one in the morning. If he follows the same protocols as he did for Ifalna, then Aerith will be moved to her room after testing has ceased for the night.”

“Hold up. Aerith has a _room_ here?”

“Indeed. It’s on the 65th Floor. I would be wary of letting anyone see you heading there, however. Professor Hojo would not take kindly to outside forces meddling with his subjects.”

Reno grit his teeth at the word. “Tseng, she’s a _person_. Not a test subject, yeah? A person.”

Tseng nodded. “Yes, Reno, but not to Shinra.”

“And what about to you?”

Tseng seemed to hesitate. “My personal feelings towards Aerith are of no consequence in the matter at hand.”

“The hell does that mean?” Reno bristled. “Don’t you care?”

“Of _course_ I care.”

Reno choked on the scathing retort poised on his lips. He’d not expected Tseng to say that, and even less so in the tone he had said it in. The sincerity caught Reno off-guard. He watched Tseng lean forwards and massage his temples with his hands, seemingly doing his best to remain passive. But something had shifted. His posture had softened. His expression, usually guarded, now simply looked tired.

“If you care, then why dontcha _say_ something?” Reno asked quietly.

Tseng looked up at Reno and sighed. “Sometimes, Reno, duty outweighs concern. In all things, I try to remain professional. After all, the Turks earned a reputation for that thanks to Veld. I see it as my responsibility to uphold his legacy. I owe him at least that much.”

“Tseng, you don’t owe Veld shit,” Reno said. “I know you cared about him. But the Turks are yours now. Not his. Whatever you think you still owe him, you don’t. Not anymore. You got him out alive. Ain’t that enough?”

“I wish it was. But not to me. I’ve made too many promises over the years I’ve been unable to keep. This one, I intend to. No matter the cost.”

Reno eyed Tseng, settling himself down on the corner of Tseng’s desk and folding his arms. “You’re talking about Zack, aren’t ya?”

For a moment it looked as if Tseng might say something else, and then he nodded. “Yes.”

“You couldn’t save him. I get it.”

“No. You don’t.”

Tseng’s tone was warning and Reno took it as his cue to stay quiet. Instead, he reached into his jacket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one. When Reno offered, Tseng accepted one as well, and Reno lit it for him across the desk. Tseng closed his eyes and took a drag. Reno watched him carefully, wondering, for the millionth time, what was going on inside Tseng’s head.

“A long time ago, I made a promise,” Tseng said quietly, after a few minutes. “To watch over Aerith. Look out for her. Keep her safe. Before he left for Nibelheim, Zack came to me and told me that I was the only person he could trust to keep an eye on Aerith for him. I told him I would. I took that promise very seriously. I still do.”

Reno looked away, remembering what Tseng had told him when he’d first assigned Reno and Rude to Aerith’s detail. _I need someone I can trust to look after her._ So Rude had been right all along. As hard as it usually was to understand Tseng and his motivations, he had, in his own way, been asking Reno for his help. Been telling him that he relied him - enough to entrust Aerith to Reno’s care, the last promise Tseng had left to the man whose life he’d failed to save.

Suddenly things began making sense to Reno. Things that hadn’t before, that had made Reno angry, confused, now slotted neatly into place. That sort of smoke screen that seemed to surround Tseng lifted slightly, although the man was still shadows at his edges. But Reno wondered if he was finally getting to glimpse what was underneath, now that Tseng had in part let his guard down.

Reno nodded. “Yeah. I get that.” He looked away, seeing Aerith’s face flicker before his eyes. “I know what it’s like making promises you can’t keep.”

“And unfortunately,” Tseng continued, taking another drag on his cigarette, “the President has become insistent on this plan for Neo Midgar, led by an Ancient. I knew I couldn’t protect her down in Sector 5 much longer. So, when I saw an opportunity, I took it.”

Reno nodded slowly, putting two and two together. “You ain’t gonna let them keep her here, are ya?”

“No. I have zero intentions of letting Hojo do any further harm to Aerith while she remains in Shinra’s custody.”

_Good, ‘cause neither does Cloud_ , Reno thought. “You got a plan?”

Tseng sighed. “Regrettably, things have not gone as smoothly as I had hoped they might. And, no offense intended, Reno, but I would rather keep the details of my current proceedings as close to my chest as I can right now. Shinra Tower is a roost for gossip, as it were.”

“None taken,” Reno said, taking a drag.

“Then let me ask you a question.” Tseng raised an eyebrow. “Because this wasn’t a planned inquiry, was it?”

Reno shook his head. “Coulda been. But, uh, no. I didn’t think Aerith would wanna see me again after the shit I pulled.”

“Then what makes you think she’s changed her mind?”

“Oh, I know she hasn’t.” Reno looked at Tseng. “But I promised someone I’d get a message to her.”

“Ah. A mutual acquaintance of ours, perhaps?”

“You could say that.”

Tseng narrowed his eyes, reading Reno’s expression, and then nodded slowly. “I see. Well, your best bet is to wait until Hojo has retired for the evening. I would recommend some time spent recuperating while you wait for him to do so. Those injuries of yours could use further treatment as well, if you are so inclined.”

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted, so subtly that probably only Reno would have picked up on it. Tseng dipped his head again, discarded the cigarette, and picked up his pen. The set of his shoulders changed, the line of his mouth, the way he held himself in his chair. He was back to being the Turks’ Director. Reno slipped off of the desk and left the room, feeling suddenly drained. Talking to Tseng was often a full-on psychological workout, and this time was no different.

Deciding to take up Tseng’s advice and get his injuries seen to, Reno sent for a Materia medic, only to be told that all but the President’s private doctor had been dispatched to aid Sector 7. So feeling suitably achy but knowing it would be a waste of time to head home only to return to see Aerith a few hours later, Reno made for the Turk’s break room. He lay himself down on the couch and took a few calming drags on the last of his cigarette before flicking it into the bin.

“Thought I’d find you here.”

Reno looked up as Rude entered. He smiled and came to sit on the opposite couch, pushing a bottle of water across the table, which Reno gratefully took a long drink from.

“Thanks,” he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and sitting the bottle back down. “You good?”

Rude chuckled. “Should be asking you the same thing. What really happened tonight? With Cloud, I mean.”

“Oh. That.” Reno sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “I have no idea. It was weird, man. I mean, you’ve seen him – he’s not the same as he was before. And in the church, I thought he didn’t remember me. But now… I get the feeling something else is going on.”

Rude leant back and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Whatever shit Hojo put him through. I don’t know. I wanna believe he’s still in there, somewhere.”

Rude nodded. “Yeah. I know you do.”

Reno closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He’d been avoiding confronting any feelings towards Cloud for a while now, but the fact Cloud kept popping up at every turn Reno took was making it downright impossible. It had been easier when he thought Cloud was dead. Now he had to adjust to Cloud who _wasn’t_ Cloud, but had all the aspects of the person Reno thought he knew - just apparently without most of his memories.

“I’m giving Aerith a message from him,” Reno muttered after a beat. “Says he’s gonna come get her.”

Rude chuckled mirthlessly. “Good luck to him. You think Tseng’ll send us to take him down?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“If he finds out.”

Rude laughed and sat back on the couch. “You know, one of these days you’re gonna get yourself killed pulling shit like this. Speaking of – you get a medic sent up for those scrapes?”

“Nah.” Reno waved a hand nonchalantly. “All the Materia users are down in Sector 7, and you know I got an aversion to the regular kinda medic. Too much like Doctor Needles upstairs.”

Rude nodded and stood, moving over to pull out the first aid kit from above the sink. Reno eyed him warily. Rude walked over and shunted Reno’s legs to one side to give him the space to sit down beside him on the couch. Rude turned to face him with a pointed look, holding a bandage in one hand and a sterile wipe in the other.

“Fine,” Reno grumbled.

He sat up and undid his jacket and shirt, shrugging them both off to let Rude get in at his injuries. Reno winced as the antibacterial fluid stung some of the rawer cuts it moved across, leaving smears of blood against the skin. Usually, Rude would be the only person Reno trusted enough to patch him up. But as of tonight, that list had tentatively – temporarily – expanded by one.

“I remember when I picked you up,” Rude murmured, focused on wrapping a bandage around Reno’s forearm. “Four years ago. You had this… energy. I didn’t realise I’d see it again four years later.”

Reno looked round at him. “What’re you talking about?”

“When you left Cloud’s place.” Rude didn’t look up from securing the bandage with a pin. “I knew you liked him. But until tonight, don’t think I realised quite how much.”

Reno blushed and looked away. Because Rude was right, as he always seemed to be. Reno liked Cloud. He’d never realised quite how much either, until he’d looked into eyes that were no longer blue and saw nothing left in there but rage. A strange sort of sadness swept over Reno briefly. That he couldn’t do more. That attempts to jog Cloud’s memory only seemed to cause him more pain. And then the sadness passed, and it left behind anger. Anger at Veld, for issuing the order. Anger at Tseng, for not doing more. Anger at himself for being worse than both of them, in failing to save Zack and Cloud in time, all for the sake of the next shiny pay check.

“Don’t do that to yourself.”

Rude’s voice cut through Reno’s thoughts and he glanced up. Rude had slid his shades back and stared at Reno with soulful brown eyes, brows furrowed with concern.

“Don’t beat yourself up like that. I can always tell.”

“Tch.” Reno grit his teeth. “If I don’t, who will? I don’t see Shinra helping themselves to any of the blame.”

“Reno.” Rude’s tone was gentle. “We did what we had to do. Cloud isn’t the same. Zack is dead. Sector 7 is gone. And we just gotta keep going forwards. There’s no point in looking back. We can’t change the past.”

Reno held Rude’s gaze for an agonisingly long beat, feeling overwhelmed, until Rude nodded at him and continued quietly working at Reno’s injuries. There was something soothing about being tended to by Rude. If it were anyone else in the world, Reno might have flinched away, felt uncomfortable, or got annoyed. But it was Rude. Rude, who was always there for him. Protected him. And never treated him as badly as Reno’d always thought he’d deserved.

“We killed a lotta people tonight,” Reno said quietly, images of the burning sector flashing through his mind. “A whole plate. Gone.”

Rude nodded. “You wanna talk about it?”

“I… don’t know. You pressed the button, man. Do _you_ wanna talk about it?”

“Not really. I would do it again if it meant getting you outta there alive.”

Reno’s breath snagged in his throat and he managed an appreciative smile in Rude’s direction before looking away, eyes stinging. He was so tired. Crushing Sector 7, avoiding orders, seeing Cloud again – it was all a little too much for one day. Reno needed to clear his head. Sleep, if he could, although he doubted his thoughts would still enough to let him. When Rude finished patching his injuries, Reno shrugged his shirt back on and checked the time.

“I gotta go.”

“You need backup?”

“Nah.” Reno winked and got to his feet. “Got a hot date.”

Rude chuckled. “Sure you do. Just get some sleep after it, alright?”

Reno mock-saluted his partner and headed for the door. “Will do.”

XXX

Aerith’s room wasn’t hard to find. It was well after two in the morning by the time Reno made it to the 65th floor, avoiding little minions in white coats as he went. In the shadows of a short hallway, Reno overrode Hojo’s door code with a handy card from Tseng, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

A lone light glowed at Aerith’s bedside. She was sat on top of the bed, curled up with her head on her knees. When she heard the door slide back, she looked up and narrowed her eyes, squinting into the dark to see who’d just stepped inside. Reno held up his hands and closed the door behind him. Aerith’s expression softened into surprise when he stepped into the light.

“Reno?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey there, princess. I, uh… got a message for ya.”

Aerith held his gaze for another moment and then glanced away, staring stubbornly at the wall.

“Well, I don’t want to hear it. You can leave.”

“Princess, I–”

“ _No_ , Reno!” Aerith whispered fiercely, whipping back around to glare at him. “I don’t want to hear it! What part of that don’t you understand?”

Reno hesitated. “I…”

“Please.” Her voice cracked over the word. “I just want to be alone.”

A silence fell over the room. Reno wavered, thinking about leaving, when Cloud’s sincere expression flickered across his mind. He had to do better. If not for Cloud, then for Aerith. He didn’t want to lose her too. Reno shook his head and stepped forward.

“Listen, I know you don’t wanna hear from me. I get it. But the message is important. It’s, uh – it’s from Cloud.”

Aerith glanced up. “Cloud?”

“Yeah. He says he’s gonna come get you.”

Aerith furrowed her brow. “Since when were you on speaking terms with Cloud?”

“I…” Reno palmed the back of his neck in an attempt to disguise his unease. “I’m not. Not really. But we, uh… ran into each other tonight. Twice. And he wanted you to know that, okay? I told him I would tell ya.”

Aerith stared at Reno for a long beat and then slipped slowly off of the bed, walking over to stand in front of him. She wrung her hands and looked him up and down, taking in the bandaged injuries across his torso and bruises on his face. Reno waited patiently for her to come to a decision. He was too tired to do much of anything else.

“Do you know what this room is?”

Reno stared at her. “It’s, uh… your room?”

She shook her head. “No. It was my prison.” She pointed to the wall beside them, where the faintest outlines of painted creatures were visible in the meagre light. “A cage I decorated to feel more like home.”

Images of Cloud suspended in Mako flickered through Reno’s mind. He nodded but said nothing, feeling his throat tighten as Aerith continued, her own voice beginning to waver, her hands balling into trembling fists.

“I lost my mother to Shinra. But I… have friends now. We’re all a little broken. But that’s okay. It’s not our fault. Shinra did that to us, and we can never undo it, but we’re already helping each other heal.”

“Must be nice,” Reno answered thickly. “But there are some things ya just don’t get forgiven for, princess.”

She held his gaze unflinchingly, her arms still shaking. “You’re wrong. I know… I know what you did. What they _told_ you to do. I know you think it’s your fault, but it’s not. It never was.”

After a beat, Aerith took a step forwards and Reno barely had the time to register what she was doing before he felt her arms about his waist and she pulled him into a hug.

Reno raised his hands, surprised. “Hey, I–”

“I’m sorry,” Aerith mumbled into his shirt. “I shouldn’t have got mad at you earlier. It wasn’t your fault. Please, you have to know that. And I didn’t mean what I said in the church. I didn’t know Cloud would try to… I – I was just really scared.”

Reno hesitated for a beat, and then relaxed his arms down around Aerith, feeling her begin to tremble as tears rolled down her cheeks and soaked into his shirt. Reno wasn’t the mushy type; he didn’t even really do hugs unless it was one of a select few among the other Turks. But Aerith was different. Aerith, under vastly different circumstances, might have been his friend. Not only that, but she’d been through hell and back not just tonight, but in the last week alone. Reno could too vividly imagine what it would have been like to be handed over to Hojo without a second thought, stuffed into one of his little glass cages and poked and prodded until she told him what he wanted to hear. She’d lost her boyfriend, her freedom, and an entire sector of the city she called home all in the space of a few days. Aerith was strong. But eventually, the weight must have been too much for just her alone to bear. 

Reno held onto Aerith until her tears had ebbed and she pulled gently back out of his arms, rubbing her eyes on her jacket sleeve and offering him a watery smile.

“Here,” she said quietly. “Let me help with those.”

Aerith reached up and laid a hand on Reno’s cheek, a gentle green glow illuminating her fingertips. Reno felt the restorative magic wash over him, and most of the lesser cuts and scrapes across his body and upper arms began to seal. Dropping her arm, Aerith stepped back and entwined her hands behind her back.

“Thanks,” Reno said, and meant it. “Look, about before…”

“Don’t mention it. I know… I know you did what you could. Back at the church. And with Zack…” Aerith rubbed at her eyes again. “You came to me when I needed someone. And that should have been enough. Here–”

Aerith stuck a hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small square of slightly tattered white card. Reno’s eyes widened to see it and she passed it over to him. There was an immediate sense of shock and relief at feeling the card in his hands again, so much so, that for just a second he thought he might have imagined it.

“Where did you find this?” he murmured, turning the card over to take in Cloud’s scrawled writing on the back, feeling his heart lodge somewhere in his throat.

“It fell out of your pocket back at my house. It… must have been when I grabbed your jacket. I found it under my bed.”

Reno glanced up. If it were anyone else handing him back this card, he might have been embarrassed. But it was Aerith. The one person in the world who, even on her own worst days, went out of her way to put a smile on someone else’s face.

“Looks like it’s my turn to say thanks,” Reno said. “I thought I’d lost this for good.”

Aerith smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes, the things you love and think are gone, can come back in unusual ways. Just… don’t give up on them. Alright?”

Reno glanced up at Aerith and felt his voice snag in his throat, felt his heart stutter in his chest. He always marvelled at how Aerith could always be so optimistic. When he’d told her Zack was dead, she was smiling. And even now, when she was imprisoned in the place her mother had died getting her out of, she was smiling. For him. Because she thought he needed it. Unable to find the right words to give Aerith the answer she deserved, Reno just nodded to her, and carefully slid the square of card back into his pocket where it belonged.

“I should probably go,” he said, after a moment. “Don’t want Hojo finding out you had a visitor.”

Aerith nodded. “Get some rest. You look like you need it.”

“Could say the same for you.”

The exchanged a small smile in the shadows of her room, and then Reno turned around to head out. Aerith waved as the door slid shut behind him and Reno disappeared off into the maze of corridors, feeling suddenly much lighter than he had done before.

XXX

It took a long time for Reno to drift to sleep. He crawled back to his apartment around four in the morning, as the sky above the plate took on its first hazy glimpses of dawn. It was warm and dark and he bunched himself up into a ball under the bedsheets, taking out the card with Cloud’s number and gazing at until the scrawl began to blur. When it did, he rolled over and laid it gently on the bedside table, and at last let darkness take him to the respite of sleep.

He awoke some time later to his cellphone ringing, opening bleary eyes to the shafts of light spilling in under his bedroom blinds. He reached out a hand to answer it, feeling his aching body slowly register the pain of last night’s injuries as he grasped the phone in one hand.

“Yo,” he rasped, bringing it to his ear.

_“Reno?”_

“Ruluf?” Reno sat up in his bed, surprised, and secretly delighted to hear his voice again. “Everything ok?”

_“Hey. I just wanted to check in. I spoke to the Director a couple of hours ago. Sounds like you guys had a hell of a time without us.”_

“Yeah. Could say that.”

_“You wanna talk about it?”_

Reno hesitated. “Nah. I wanna hear how you are. Is Cissnei with you?”

_“Yeah. Tseng wasn’t too pleased to find out that she’d lied to him about Zack. She’s got a strike against her now, that’s for sure.”_

Reno frowned. “Whoa, slow down. Cissnei lied – about Zack? Say again?”

_“You didn’t know?”_ Ruluf sounded surprised. _“Yeah. We got dispatched after Zack and Cloud escaped Nibelheim to try and keep tabs on their progress back to Midgar. But Cissnei was the only one who got any leads. Turns out, when Tseng asked, she told him she hadn’t found anything.”_

Reno bunched his fist in the sheets, immediately angry. _“_ The hell?”

_“Yeah. Told me she’d thought Tseng was gonna turn them over to Shinra.”_

“Damnit, Cissnei!” Reno cursed under his breath. “If she’d just _told_ Tseng–”

_“You might have made it to them in time. I know. Cissnei’s not taken her decision well either.”_ A pause. _“She thinks she got Zack killed.”_

Reno sighed and reached up to undo his ponytail, which he’d fallen asleep with it still in. Snagged hairs were pinching his scalp and adding to his frustration. It was too early for this. Or maybe it wasn’t early at all, and Reno just didn’t have the energy yet to deal with more guilt. Did that mean that Cissnei was responsible for this mess? Were any of them? Reno’s head was too muddled to focus.

_“Sorry. This isn’t helping.”_

“No shit.” Reno glanced over at the card on the table. “Can I call you back?”

_“Sure. Take it easy. I’ll talk to you soon.”_

Reno’s tone softened. “Yeah. You too.”

Ruluf hung up and Reno flopped back into his pillows, checking his phone for the time. It was only midday, and there was a text from Rude letting him know he had Tseng’s permission to take the afternoon off to recover. Reno slid the phone under his pillows and let himself relax back into the shadows of his apartment, head spinning. Cissnei lied to Tseng. Zack died. Tseng was too late to save him. Aerith forgave Reno. It all swam around in Reno’s thoughts, persistent and exhausting. He wanted to talk to someone who didn’t know anything about it all. Someone who just wanted to hear Reno, who wouldn’t remind him of everything he thought might still be his fault.

The phone rang, and picked up on the third ring.

_“Reno?”_

“Hey, Leslie,” Reno said, chest tight. It had been a long time since he’d even thought about his last job. “How are ya?”

_“Man, it’s been a while.”_ Leslie sounded pleased. _“I’m good. Well… as good as to be expected. What’s up?”_

Reno sighed. “Been a long night. Can you talk?”

_“Ha, you’re telling me. Yeah, I got time. Had some newcomers at the Don’s place. He’s gone into hiding. Man, those girls really kicked ass.”_

“Huh?” Reno perked up. “He’s left?”

_“Yup. Stashed himself in his safehouse in the sewers. Two girls showed up with some dude in drag last night and really scared the shit out of him.”_

“Who were they?”

_“Hmm. Sam’s girl was called Tifa, and Madam M recommended some chick named Aerith. The drag queen I think Aerith called Cloud?”_

Reno sat bolt upright in bed, a slow, wry smile spreading across his face. “You. Are. _Kidding_.”

_“What, you know them?”_

“You bet your ass I do. Tifa and Cloud are Avalanche. And Aerith’s… well, I know her too.”

_“Avalanche, huh?”_ Leslie whistled. _“Man, no wonder the Don freaked. Well, they did me a huge favour. I’ll be sure to thank them if I see them again.”_

Reno chuckled and leant back against the pillows again, mentally trying to conjure up the image of Cloud in a dress. Reno wasn’t very imaginative, but somehow, he felt like Cloud would suit it. And him kicking the shit outta Corneo? It just couldn’t get any better. The slimy fuck deserved it, that’s for sure. Reno only regretted he wasn’t there to see it for himself.

“And the Don’s running scared, huh? I’d pay gil to see that.”

_“If you ever wanna come back down…”_

Reno recoiled at the mere suggestion. “I love ya, Les, but that’s gonna be a hard pass. I told the Don when I stepped outta that building he’d never see me there again, and I ain’t about to go back on that now.”

_“I remember,”_ Leslie said, laughing. _“Pretty sure your last words were along the lines of ‘suck on that, you son of a bitch’. Or something.”_

“Man, the look he gave Veld when Veld told him he was recruiting me for the Turks. Priceless.”

Leslie got a little quiet, let the statement stew a moment, before asking: _“You still doing good, Reno? They treating you alright topside?”_

The concern in Leslie’s tone struck a chord with Reno. “I… yeah. I’m fine. Just wanted to talk, was all.”

_“You sound tired. Take it you got caught up in all that mess with Sector 7? We’ve had evacuees flooding into Wall Market ever since.”_

Reno’s throat tightened. “Yeah. Listen, Les, can we, uh, talk about something else for a while?”

_“Yeah, sure. Whatever you like.”_

Reno relaxed into the conversation, letting it flow down a path that didn’t mean confronting any memories of last night, not least while they were still so freshly burned into his mind. Eventually Leslie bid his farewells and Reno slipped back down into the bed, content to let sleep overcome him again, easing into the darkness, this time armed with the soothing tones of an old friend to ward off bad dreams.

When Reno next jolted awake, it was pitch black outside. He flailed around under the pillow for his phone to silence its blaring ringtone, only to see Tseng’s name on the screen.

“Shit,” Reno muttered, and answered it.

_“Reno. We need you back at HQ immediately.”_

Reno leapt out of bed with the phone still pressed to his ear and began pulling on his suit from the night before. “What’s going on?”

Tseng’s tone was tightly controlled. _“The report could be false, but the VP wants us on reserve. Palmer has reported seeing Sephiroth in the building.”_

Every muscle in Reno’s body seemed to seize and he slowed to a halt, nightstick halfway to its holster in his trousers. “But… Sephiroth is dead. Right?”

_“Nevertheless, we need you back here. Now.”_

Tseng hung up and it took a moment for Reno to get his bearings in the dark. The first thing his mind recalled was Cloud’s eyes in the gloom of the old research labs, and that momentary flash of Sephiroth’s amidst the Mako that had made Reno’s skin crawl. He shook himself and pulled the rest of his clothes on. Whatever was going on, it meant he wouldn’t have to think about last night for a while, and that thought was the only thing able to calm his racing heart as Reno opened his apartment door and slipped out into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise! i know this chapter comes only a couple of days after the last, but as i'm close to finishing the story (but haven't yet uploaded all of it!), i really just wanted to share some more with you guys. thank you to everyone who takes the time to read, leave kudos, and such lovely comments! they really keep me going! a little author's note about the inclusion of Leslie in this chapter: i'm fully aware in canon he only joins Corneo six months prior to the start of the story, but since there are very few redeemable characters in Corneo's crew, i wanted to pick someone that both Reno and the audience would recognise and like. therefore im gonna ask y'all for a little more suspension of belief, and say that for the purposes of this narrative, Leslie has been with Corneo a lot longer than six months :)


	8. Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Somebody throw me a line, I can't keep losing this fight,  
> It's getting harder to tell the wrong from the right,  
> I think I might cross the line."  
> – Throw Me a Line, Highlnd & greisun.

When Reno arrived in B3, Tseng and Rude were already at their desks. They looked up at seeing him enter, still scraped and bandaged from the night before, and Tseng nodded for Reno to take a seat on the couch. He did as bid, leaning forwards with his arms on his knees and looking at Tseng expectantly.

“The President has dismissed Palmer’s report regarding Sephiroth,” Tseng said carefully, pen in hand where he was signing documents scattered across his desk. “However, the VP has been contacted in Junon by Heidegger and wonders if we should not remain on alert. As such, we are to wait here on standby in case an emergency situation arises. The VP will be joining us shortly.”

Reno exchanged a glance with Rude. “You called me here for that? Damn, Tseng, I coulda had a couple more hours of sleep.”

Reno leant off of his knees and turned to lie back down on the couch, resting his head on the armrest and sighing. Tseng looked at him from behind his desk, eyebrow raised.

“You know, Reno, I think you might be due for some R&R.”

Reno pondered this for a moment. A real break would be nice. ‘Holiday’ was a word he hadn’t heard in a long while. But he’d rather be here in case Cloud showed up, as he had planned to. After all, who’d bail him out if he got caught?

“Nah,” Reno answered after a beat. “I’m good.”

Tseng nodded. “Have it your way.”

Rude leant forward on the desk and cleared his throat. “While we’re all here… What are we going to do about Sector 7?”

“ _We_ are going to do nothing.” Tseng looked at Rude pointedly. “Our job is finished, as far as Sector 7 is concerned. Let the medics and the evacuation teams clear up the mess.”

“You mean the evac team that shoulda been there before it fell?” Reno shot back impulsively. “There even a point in them going down now?”

Rude nodded in agreement. “Been thinking, Tseng. Was all that necessary? I mean, couldn’t the President have just sent _us_ to take out Avalanche?”

Tseng sighed and leant back in his chair. “The President’s mind was set. Had we refused, someone else would have completed the task. We have spared that someone the burden of a guilty conscience. Perhaps that will ease yours.”

Reno rolled his eyes. “Yeah… nope.”

“Let’s try another tack then.” Tseng paused a moment, glancing to Rude. “They were a sacrifice. To balance the scales.”

Reno recoiled. “Say what?”

“After everything we’ve taken from the planet, we were due to give something back.”

Rude sounded incredulous. “Do you actually believe that?”

“Does it matter?”

Rude held Tseng’s stare for a long beat before gritting his teeth and looking away. Reno glanced at Tseng over the armrest.

“You know, Tseng, it makes it hard for us to trust ya when you say stupid shit like that. Was that actually supposed to make us feel better?”

Tseng waved a hand idly and returned to his paperwork. “I will say whatever makes my operatives perform their role to an optimum capacity. Learn to settle your conscience quickly. It will serve you well in the Turks.”

Reno thought back to his conversation with Tseng last night and let the comment slide, settling back against the arm rest with a sigh. It would do no good to start an argument now, not when he didn’t have the energy to finish it.

His thoughts were interrupted by Tseng’s desk phone ringing. Reno listened as he answered it, murmured into the receiver, and then put it down again sharply.

“The VP needs us,” Tseng said, getting to his feet. “Head for the roof immediately.”

Reno scrambled up off the couch and exchanged a confused glance with Rude. “What’s going on?”

“There is a security breach in the building. Intruders set off an alarm in Hojo’s laboratory a few minutes ago.”

Reno and Rude followed Tseng out of their office and into the elevator. When it reached the top floor, they stepped out and took the stairs the rest of the way to the landing pad, where a helicopter already awaited them. Rufus pulled back the door and two Shinra troopers jumped out, leaving four left sitting in the back. Tseng waited for Reno and Rude to climb in and settle themselves into the pilot’s seats before clambering in himself. Reno manoeuvred past Darkstar, Rufus’s mutant mutt tucked in the back of the chopper, and backed away quickly towards his seat when it smelled the dried blood on his clothes.

Reno yanked on a headset and lifted the bird into the air, sweeping out in a wide arc around the perimeter of Shinra Tower. Tseng exchanged a quiet murmur with Rufus in the back before the pair of them came to stand between Reno and Rude.

“Turn around and wait east of the tower,” Rufus said. “I want to see them when they arrive.”

“Come again, boss?” Reno asked, pulling back on the chopper’s controls.

“Avalanche. They’re heading up to my father’s office as we speak.”

_Cloud_. Reno glanced at Rude and Rude gave him an almost imperceptible nod. So he’d come for Aerith after all. Was another confrontation on the cards? Reno rolled his shoulders and winced to feel them still ache. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to put on a convincing performance for the VP. Not in this state, anyways.

“The plan, sir?” Rude asked, derailing Reno’s train of thought.

Rufus’s mouth curled up into a knowing smile. “Scouts have reported an unmarked chopper entering Shinra airspace. When it draws level with us, shoot it out of the sky. No doubt it’s Avalanche’s getaway plan. Once it is out of the picture, we move in and I dispatch whoever’s left.”

Reno choked. “You?” he echoed weakly.

“Indeed.” Rufus straightened up. “It’s time my father learned how to properly enforce Shinra’s influence over this city - starting with Avalanche.”

Reno leant back in his chair as the chopper swung around behind the tower, his heart thudding. He knew well of Rufus’s involvement with Avalanche in years gone by. So this was another game, then; a ploy to prove himself a ‘hero’ to the people of Midgar. _Well played, Rufus_ , Reno thought bitterly. _Turn your father’s schemes in your favour. Not bad._

And Rufus was right. In the distance the smudge of a helicopter appeared on the horizon, no doubt the unmarked Avalanche rescue bird. Reno felt his throat tighten, and it was on the tip of his tongue to try and change Rufus’s mind, when he saw –

Sephiroth.

Reno stared, feeling his heartbeat quicken. It was Sephiroth. There was no mistaking him. He strode out onto the landing pad, black feathered wing rippling in the wind, and lifted off into the sky, the body of something nestled in rags clutched in his arms. Reno watched the figure disappear into the night, incredulous. How was he still alive? All reports confirmed Sephiroth had died at Nibelheim. But then again, Reno thought bitterly, those same reports had spun the tale that Zack and Cloud had died there as well.

“Sir,” Tseng said measuredly, breaking the stunned silence in the chopper. “Should we engage?”

“No,” Rufus murmured. “Let him go.”

They watched Sephiroth’s silhouette vanish, allowing the unmarked helicopter unmitigated approach to the landing pad. When it drew near, Rufus gave the command to attack. Reno and Rude directed their chopper in and unloaded fire along the enemy’s flank. Metal ripped under the pressure and a direct hit rendered their blades defunct. In just a few seconds the enemy bird plummeted from the sky into the city below, trailing smoke and embers through the air.

At Rufus’s command, they manoeuvred the chopper in to land, Reno scanning the ground for Cloud. He found him amongst a group of others, looking wholly agitated to see their getaway bird drop out of the sky. Tifa and Barret were there, standing defensively in front of Aerith, who Reno was at least relieved to see didn’t look harmed. Behind them was a strange red lion creature that Reno didn’t recognise. He was a little too preoccupied to care much, feeling his grip on the controls tighten as Rufus disappeared into the back of the chopper to ready his weapon – and Darkstar.

Reno shot Rude an imploring glance and Rude nodded in response. Well, at least if things turned nasty, he could count on Rude to watch Cloud’s back. After all, Rufus was a deadly shot. He’d trained with the Turks. And that wasn’t even taking into account his slavering pet. If Cloud wasn’t careful, he could get seriously hurt out there.

Rufus stood to leave and Reno looked around, trying one last time to change the VP’s mind.

“Sure ya wanna do this personally, boss?”

Rufus smiled and ignored Reno, hopping down out of the chopper following the four recruits, Darkstar close behind. Reno made a frustrated gesture to Rude and Rude sighed, lifting the chopper back into the air to circle the tower. Tseng tightened his grip on the back of Reno’s chair.

“Let me make one thing clear, Reno,” Tseng said icily. “The VP’s safety tonight is priority number one. Understood?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reno muttered; eyes focused entirely on Rufus advancing towards Cloud outside the window. “Ain’t it always?”

“I’ve told you before: it hasn’t slipped my notice that our plans often go awry when Strife is involved. I trust that this won’t happen this evening. Will it?”

Reno grit his teeth. “Nope.”

“Good.”

Rude took the lead on piloting, knowing Reno’s attention was only half on the controls. They hovered in the air a little way off of the platform. Reno watched as Aerith, Barret, Tifa, and the lion creature raced back inside the building, and when Cloud made to follow, Tseng gave the command to fire. Reno aimed purposefully into the floor, blocking Cloud’s exit but avoiding his actual body by a mile. Reno caught sight of Tseng raise an eyebrow, but if he was dissatisfied with Reno’s decision, he didn’t verbalise it.

Combat exploded out on the roof with surprising ferocity. Cloud took out Rufus’s elites without much trouble, but when it came to Darkstar, he seemed to struggle. The dog was fast and Rufus was even faster. When Cloud blocked Darkstar’s jaws, Rufus saw his chance to fire off a round. Blood hit the floor of the landing pad. By the time Rufus called Darkstar back to his side, Cloud was breathing heavily, the fabric of his shirt shot through with holes.

Reno felt his muscles tense with each passing minute. It was difficult to watch. Cloud threw up a hand and a green shimmer enveloped him, purging some of the worst of the wounds from his flesh. With Darkstar out of the picture – its hide slick with fresh blood – Rufus attacked in full force. Cloud parried and blocked relentlessly, a brilliant flash of silver steel in the dark. When he at last landed a hit, Rufus stumbled under the pressure. Red flecked across his snow-white suit.

Reno heard Tseng’s breath hitch behind him, ever so slightly. The Turks were no stranger to Rufus’s flirting, but they all knew he’d only ever really had eyes for Tseng. It just wasn’t until now that Reno realised Tseng had ever actually reciprocated that interest.

Something heavy settled into the pit of Reno’s stomach. So that was it, then. There was no way in hell Reno would let Rufus kill Cloud tonight, and Tseng would have them open fire on Cloud before Rufus sustained any real damage.

Reno tightened his fist around the gun controls, waiting for one of them to break first.

Cloud dashed forwards, Buster Sword slicing through the air inches from Rufus’s head. Rufus darted back out of the way, his movements supple and fluid, like a dancer’s. He readied his shotgun and aimed it towards Cloud, searching for an opening. Cloud didn’t give it to him. The sword swung up through the air and in a flash of sparks Rufus’s gun left his hand and toppled over the edge of the roof.

“No!” Tseng said, voice unadulterated in its desperation, and then turned to snap to Reno and Rude: “Protect the Vice President. _Now_.”

The complacency Reno felt at Cloud’s victory was fleeting as Rude brought the chopper in and Tseng flung back the door, offering Rufus his hand and hauling him into the back, Darkstar leaping in after him. As they pulled away from the building, Rufus came to stand between Reno and Rude, breathing heavily, and pointed to where Cloud still stood on the roof.

“Open fire,” he growled. “I want that SOLDIER dead.”

Reno’s stomach dropped and he looked at Rude, whose mouth settled into a firm line. Neither of them moved. Reno’s pulse thudded in his throat. After a beat, Rufus looked between them, incredulous.

“Need I repeat myself?”

Reno grit his teeth and shook his head, manoeuvring the chopper up into the air and away from the tower. “With all due respect, boss, orders are to get you to safety before engaging the enemy.”

Rufus wavered for a moment before making an exasperated noise and turned to sit down in the rear of the chopper. Reno leant back in his chair and breathed out steadily in an attempt to calm his pounding heart. He’d openly disobeyed. They both had. Rufus was too exhausted to argue now, but later? Reno knew he’d pay the price one way or another. Rufus was not the type to take disobedience lightly.

As they steered the helicopter away from the tower, Tseng’s voice drifted through, a soothing murmur, where he was bent down on his knees in front of Rufus.

“Sir. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Rufus said stubbornly. “It’s nothing.”

“Rufus, _please_.” Tseng’s tone was dangerously gentle. “Let me help.”

It was the first time Reno could remember Tseng calling Rufus by his first name, and it must have struck a chord, because after a tense beat Rufus sighed and shrugged off his jacket.

“Hmph,” Rufus muttered resignedly, as Tseng inspected his injuries. “Now what would I do without you, I wonder?”

By every account, Reno wanted to be mad at Tseng. Mad at Rufus. But he couldn’t. Because as his memory so helpfully reminded him, Reno had been in that exact same position last night – down in the abandoned labs with Cloud’s hands about his waist and that look of sincerity in his eyes. The warmth in Rufus’s tone made Reno’s resentment immediately begin to ebb. They were all fighting their own battles tonight, and the waters of whose battle was the right battle were getting muddier by the minute. Didn’t Tseng deserve the right to protect the person he cared about?

But then, didn’t Reno?

Another circle of the building and the landing pad was empty. They touched down and disembarked, Tseng hovering tensely by Rufus’s side. In fact, everyone was so distracted that it wasn’t until they were halfway to the entrance did Reno notice the shattered glass on the floor at the sides of the building. 

Tseng nodded to him. “Secure the President.”

Reno jogged off, pulse quickening as he pulled his nightstick from its holster and headed inside. A sweep of the President’s office and he found nothing to suggest that any danger remained. There was, however, the crumpled form of President Shinra lying on the middle of the floor, and Reno headed over cautiously.

Blood pooled around the body, still warm to the touch. Reno rolled him over and just managed to suppress his shock at seeing the single sword-shaped puncture through his chest. Too thin to be Cloud’s, and too distinctive to be anyone’s else’s blade but Sephiroth’s Masamune. Reno curled his fingers back into his palm and glanced out onto the landing pad where Rude waited with Rufus and Tseng.

President Shinra was dead. Reno thought back to their conversation in this exact spot yesterday night, taking a long look at the corpse, and felt his hand tighten into a fist.

“It’s a start,” he muttered, and got to his feet.

Rude, Rufus, and Tseng headed inside at Reno’s nod, Darkstar limping behind. Rude glanced at the body of the President and then briefly at Reno. Rufus strode over and stood aside his father’s body for a long beat, staring down at him, and then turned to Tseng.

“Get this mess cleaned up.”

Tseng nodded tightly. “Yes, sir.”

There was nothing on Rufus’s face to indicate grief. In fact, Reno had never seen Rufus so focused before; every muscle in his face meticulously controlled. 

“And I want that SOLDIER found,” Rufus continued sharply. “Tell Heidegger to assemble a team and head out at once. They are not allowed to leave Midgar under any circumstances.”

“Understood.” Tseng turned to Reno and Rude. “Start scouting the area for Avalanche. Report back immediately if you find anything.”

“You got it,” Reno muttered.

They headed back out onto the landing pad. As they crossed towards the chopper, Reno felt a hand on his arm, and turned around to see Rude looking at him with concern.

“What?”

“We gonna talk about this?”

Reno stared at him. “About President Shinra?”

“No. About Cloud. About Rufus’s orders. You going after him?”

Reno sighed and hauled open the door to the helicopter. “That was the plan.”

Rude didn’t move. “And when we find him?”

_Third times the charm._

Reno hesitated, and then turned pleading eyes on his partner. “I wanna save him. _This_ time, I wanna get there before Shinra does. I have to, Rude. Fuck orders. I’m sick of getting people I care about killed. And if that means I gotta do it alone, then–”

“Who said anything about going alone?”

“I – I thought, you…”

“I’ve got your back.” Rude pushed his shades up and moved past Reno to climb into the chopper. “I told you. Always will.”

Reno nodded, relieved. “Thanks.”

“Even if I do think this is a dumbass idea.”

Reno chuckled, and followed Rude inside.

By the time the bird was back in the air, Reno could glimpse the faintest haze of dawn encroaching on the horizon. It had been a long night, and despite it being back down to just him and Rude in the chopper, the atmosphere was still uneasy. A garbled report from a Trooper unit informed them that Avalanche had been sighted on stolen vehicles riding along the unfinished motorway headed out of the city. They diverted their course immediately and checked the road below.

As light at last crested the edges of the city, Reno spotted Cloud’s little group and their stolen rides at the very end of the unfinished expressway, scrambling to find a way down. No Shinra reinforcements in sight. Reno’s relief at seeing Cloud safe was short lived as Cloud looked up and spotted the chopper approach.

“We might take fire,” Rude muttered. “The bird’s marked Shinra, after all.”

“No shit,” Reno replied, and lowered the chopper slowly out of the sky onto the expressway.

From the window, Reno flinched away as Barret moved to raise his gun, but stopped when Aerith laid a warning hand on his arm. Reno shot her what he hoped was a thankful look and climbed out of his seat, throwing back the door and stepping down on to the road.

The group eyed him suspiciously, Cloud stepping forward, hand going to the Buster Sword on his back. Reno held up his hands submissively and shrugged, every fibre of his body trying to appear nonchalant, when in fact he knew a single misstep here might cost him his life.

“Reno,” Cloud shouted over the whirr of the helicopter blades. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” Reno quipped, jerking a thumb behind in the direction of the chopper. “You lot coming or not?”

“We ain’t going nowhere with you, Turk!” Barret yelled. “Gimme one reason I shouldn’t shoot yo face full of bullets right here, right now!”

“’Cause I’m your one chance at getting outta Midgar alive.”

They stared at Reno, Tifa shooting Cloud a worried look. Reno lowered his hands and put them into his pockets, felt the little card with Cloud’s number nestled there. This was all he could do. It had to be their choice to come with him. He wasn’t going to force them, but he knew this would be his last chance to help. He was disobeying direct orders. Again. If Shinra showed up, it was most definitely game over.

A tense moment passed where nobody moved. Reno fidgeted, worried that any minute now an armed unit of Shinra reinforcements would arrive and discover his betrayal. Just as Reno was thinking of giving up and leaving, Aerith walked forwards and stood in line with Cloud.

“We should go with them.”

“Say what?” Barret said, incredulous. “Aerith, I know you saved my Marlene and all, but this guy’s Shinra!”

“I know that.” Aerith shot Reno a grateful smile. “But he’s always been kind to me. I trust him. And I think… I think he wants to do the right thing.”

Reno nodded, heart racing. “You heard the princess. Now are ya getting in, or are ya gonna wait here for the cavalry?”

Aerith started walking across the concrete road and smiled at Reno as she climbed up into the helicopter behind him. Somehow, just that was enough to calm the erratic beat of his heart. Tifa came quickly second, followed by the red lion creature.

“If you do anything to hurt them,” Tifa said pointedly as the lion leapt inside, “anything at all – just know I’ll take you down personally.”

Reno sighed resignedly. “Sure thing, sweetheart.”

Barret grumbled and came next, muttering other unpleasantries to Reno as he followed Aerith’s lead and took a seat in the back of the chopper. That left only Cloud, who walked forwards and released his grip on the Buster Sword as he came to a stop in front of Reno. Reno cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded to him.

“Think this about evens out our score?”

Cloud held his gaze for a long beat and then shook his head. “Not a chance.”

Cloud’s arm brushed Reno’s as he climbed into the chopper and Reno took a breath to steady his nerves before turning and clambering inside after him. He’d done it. Zack might not have been here, but Cloud was, and that was enough for Reno. Twice, he’d failed to get to Cloud in time. Never again. Reno slammed the door shut and made for the co-pilot’s seat, settling down as Rude lifted them into the air.

If Reno had felt a tension in the helicopter before, it was increased tenfold now with the runaway Avalanche gang sat in the back. Adrenaline seeped slowly through his veins. Tseng would surely kill him if he ever discovered what Reno had done tonight – Rude, too, unless Rufus got to them first. Here they were, smuggling wanted criminals out of Midgar… and Reno was past the point of caring. He felt a type of thrill, suddenly, to realise he might get away with all of this. Disobeying orders. Getting Cloud to safety. Throwing Shinra off his scent. A part of Reno wondered if this made up for four years’ worth of misdeeds. Realistically, he knew it probably couldn’t, not when Cloud had already called his bluff. But it was a solid start.

As they approached Midgar’s outer walls, Aerith wandered up to stand between Rude and Reno in the pilot seats, leaning over to lay a gentle hand down on Reno’s shoulder.

“They won’t say it, so I will,” she said with a smile. “Thank you. We wouldn’t have made it out of there without your help.”

“Uh, sure,” Reno muttered, a blush rising to his cheeks. “Don’t mention it.”

Aerith nodded and poked Rude’s shoulder. “And thank _you_ for taking good care of him. It doesn’t go unnoticed, you know!”

Rude chuckled. “Well, someone’s gotta do it.”

Reno’s blush deepened. “Hey!”

He relaxed a little, after that, taking in the golden sunlight spilling in across the landscape as they left Midgar behind them and headed out into the wilds. There was a noticeable release of tension in the chopper, a collective sigh of relief, as Avalanche at last watched the towering shape of Midgar recede into the distance. Rude brought the chopper in to land on an outcrop of rock far enough from the city walls that they wouldn’t be spotted by scouting parties and the Avalanche group spilled eagerly out – all apart from Cloud, who hesitated in the doorway long enough that Reno took note.

“Yo – something wrong?”

Cloud shook his head. “I… don’t know. I don’t know how to say this, but…”

Cloud trailed off, visibly uncomfortable, and Reno stared at him, waiting, until he realised Cloud had apparently finished talking.

“Uh,” Reno muttered, palming the back of his neck. “Well, ’thanks’ might be a good place to start,” he said teasingly. “Just saying.”

“Yeah.” Cloud held Reno’s gaze for a long beat. “Thanks.”

Reno froze, struck by the sincerity in Cloud’s voice. Memories of Zack lying on the ground not so far from where they were now flashed through his mind, followed by Cloud, in the church, with the Buster Sword raised above his head. And then the pair of them in the shadows of the underground tunnels, pressed close together, the feel of Cloud’s bare hands against his waist.

All this time Reno thought he’d only cared about fixing an old mistake. That once Cloud was safely out of Shinra clutches, his conscience would be clear. But that wasn’t true.

Reno wanted Cloud to stay.

He realised this unexpectedly and with no small amount of surprise. It was ridiculous, impossible, but he wanted to grab Cloud by those stupid braces he wore and kiss him until he was breathless. It might not be _his_ Cloud – the naïve young Trooper with stars in his eyes that he’d been unable to banish from his mind – but there was still so much of _that_ Cloud in _this_ Cloud, and that, Reno understood all of a sudden, was enough for him. It had to be.

But Cloud wasn’t going to stay. He was a wanted criminal with friends who needed him. And until yesterday, Cloud didn’t even know Reno’s name. Reno’s hand instinctively went to the little worn square of card in his pocket and he squeezed it reassuringly. Realistically, he knew he couldn’t have Cloud. Cloud was ex-Shinra. Reno was a Turk. And judging from Rufus’s reaction to Cloud earlier, it wouldn’t be the last time the Turks would be dispatched to bring Cloud in. But it would be the last time they found him, if Reno had anything to say about it. That, he had made his mind up about.

“Cloud!” Tifa called, shattering Reno’s daydreams. “You coming?”

Cloud nodded. “Guess that’s my cue.”

“Mhm,” Reno said, throat tight. “Where will you go?”

Cloud hesitated and then glanced away, gaze settling somewhere on the horizon. Reno watched the way the dawn’s rays lent a golden radiance to Cloud’s face and sent the Mako in his eyes aglow. He really was beautiful. There was no denying it. Reno took a second to commit the moment to memory, storing it alongside all those little fragments of Cloud he still had left. 

“Sephiroth.”

The name Cloud uttered hung in the air, everything seeming to dim for a moment as it drifted off into the ether. Reno nodded and forced a smile. Of course, Cloud wasn’t about to give away their next location. Not to a Turk. Reno should have known.

So this was goodbye.

Again.

“Well, good luck to ya,” Reno said thickly.

Cloud looked back at him. “Yeah. I…” he hesitated for a long beat and then nodded, a slight blush rising to his cheeks. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Cloud hopped down and strode out towards the group that waited for him; his pale blond hair set alight by the rising sun. Reno waved to Aerith before turning and shutting the door, flopping down into his seat as Rude lifted them back into the air. He straightened up only to look out of the window and watch Cloud disappear out of sight between the outcroppings of rock. When Cloud was gone, Reno leant back with a sigh and pulled out the card from his pocket.

“You did good,” Rude murmured. “And I got a feeling we’ll see him again soon.”

“Yeah,” Reno said flatly, turning the card over in his fingers to read the writing on the back. “I, uh, don’t wanna get my hopes up.”

“Then what _do_ you want?”

“To sleep for three days and then get so drunk I sleep another six.”

Rude chuckled. “I think that could be arranged.”

Reno shot his partner a small smile and leant his head back, closing his eyes. It had been a hell of a week. And despite a part of him aching to see Cloud go again, Reno knew at least this time, he’d done right by him. Cloud had a group who’d look out for him no matter what. This time, he would be okay.

XXX

When Reno and Rude returned to Shinra HQ, the atmosphere had changed. An unease had settled over the building, something strange that Reno couldn’t quite place his finger on. As they disembarked the chopper and headed to B3, recruits and suits alike ran past them in the hallways. One of the elevators was out of service, glass blown out down almost thirty floors. And whispers of _Did you hear? President Shinra is dead!_ accompanied them all the way down to General Affairs.

“Nothing at all?” Tseng said, eyebrows raised. “You found nothing at all regarding Avalanche’s whereabouts?”

Reno and Rude stood in front of Tseng’s desk. Reno folded his arms defensively and shrugged.

“Yeah.” Rude coughed and nodded. “We lost them at the end of the unfinished expressway. Scouted around for a bit, but no dice. Want us to keep looking?”

Tseng narrowed his eyes, staring them both down for a long, unsettling beat, and then sighed. “No. Take your leave. I will call you if there is any word.”

Relieved, Reno nodded, and they both headed out.

Changes around Shinra Tower were implemented quickly now that Rufus was in charge. The day after President Shinra’s death, Reno and Rude were called into Rufus’s office. Rufus was sat behind what once was his father’s desk, looking wholly pleased with himself, and in front of him stood Tseng, hands clasped tightly behind his back.

“Ah, good.” Rufus beckoned Reno and Rude to come and stand beside Tseng. “I’ve spoken to Tseng at length regarding our procedures moving forwards and we have come to an agreement regarding Avalanche.”

Tseng nodded. “Indeed. The President believes that there is little reward in dispensing forces to track down Avalanche when Sephiroth has become our top priority. However, judging from our scouts’ reports, we believe Avalanche are also searching for Sephiroth, so it is likely our paths will cross again regardless.”

“Tseng informs me that the one who thinks himself a former SOLDIER was quite the challenge for you both.” Rufus glanced languidly between Reno and Rude, who did their best not to look embarrassed. “Therefore, allow me to introduce to you the latest member of the Turks and your new teammate, effective immediately.”

Shocked, Reno and Rude turned around as the doors to Rufus’s office swung inward and a young woman strode in. The crisp black suit of the Turks looked good on her, complementing her sharp features and even sharper asymmetrical bob. She gave them all a bright nod and then fell in line with Tseng, standing to attention in front of the President.

Rufus smiled. “This is Elena. She will be working alongside you in the coming days in order to track down Sephiroth.”

Elena turned and gave them a chipper wave. Something about her appearance clicked in Reno’s mind.

“Yo – ain’t you Emma’s little sister?”

Elena turned scarlet. “Y-Yes!” she answered, immediately flustered. “But _I’m_ here and _she’s_ not!” She turned sharply to Rufus. “I promise you will find no harder working operative, Mister President, sir!”

_Geez_ , Reno thought. _Talk about a people-pleaser._ _Is this kid fresh outta the academy or what?_

Rufus chuckled. “You hear that, Tseng? Sounds like your boys are in for a little healthy competition.”

“Indeed.”

“I would also like the Turks to work closely with Director Tuesti with regards to Sephiroth. Check in with him at regular intervals and be sure to utilise his expertise to your full capacity.”

Tseng nodded. “Of course, Mister President.”

“Good. Then you are dismissed.”

As they turned and left, Reno couldn’t help but wonder why Tseng had agreed to bring Elena on. Sure, to Shinra’s knowledge, the Turks hadn’t beat Cloud yet. But they’d also never faced him with evened odds. Unease twisted Reno’s guts. It hadn’t occurred to him earlier, but now that Elena was here, he’d have to be a lot more careful with what he could say in front of her – especially when it came to Cloud. Was that Rufus’s plan? Bring on a fresh-faced recruit who was still blindly loyal to Shinra and Shrina alone? It would make sense. After all, Reno and Rude had openly gone against Rufus’s orders last night. When Reno remembered that, the unease he felt deepened. If that was Rufus’s reasoning, then that would make Elena their punishment.

At Tseng’s orders, they all headed for Reeve’s office on the 63rd floor. Elena trotted behind Tseng like a pup to heel and Reno hung back, nudging Rude as they walked.

“The hell is her deal?” Reno muttered under his breath.

Rude shook his head. “You know Emma. I ain’t heard her mention Elena in a while, though. I suppose they don’t get along.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Emma’s a real stick in the mud if I ever met one. She didn’t even come over last time we all got together. But she can kick some serious ass, so why’re they sending her kid sister instead?”

“Beats me. Maybe Elena’s got even better moves that Emma.”

Reno snorted. “Doubt it.”

They turned down the corridor and pushed into the Urban Planning Administration department. Reeve’s secretary waved them through and they stepped into his office, surprised to see it bustling with activity. Mechanics flitted to and fro. Wires and bolts and data chips littered every available surface, and stood in the middle of the room was Reeve, who moved out of the way to reveal the object sat in the floor. It was a cat, about three foot tall, wearing a crown, and riding a moogle.

“Ah, I was wondering when the Turks would show up.”

Reeve beckoned them in and Reno came over to stare down at the little black cat with the crown on its head.

“Not this shit again,” he said with a sigh.

Elena quirked her head. “What _is_ it, Director Tuesti, if you don’t mind my asking? Oh – and I’m Elena, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

Reeve patted it fondly and smiled, ignoring Reno’s animosity entirely. “ _This_ is Cait Sith, Elena, new and improved. He’s going to be instrumental in tracking down Sephiroth.”

Reno and Rude fell into line either side of Tseng, who was looking down curiously at the dormant robot in the middle of the room as Elena circled around it.

“I remember you used something resembling this… creature, quite a few years ago,” Tseng said slowly. “During our search for the Support Materia. But I don’t remember it looking quite like this. I take it a few upgrades have been implemented?”

“Indeed. Simply put, he is now entirely remote piloted through this device.” Reeve tapped a small, glass disk fitted against his temple that Reno had missed on first glance. “The camera inside will allow a direct relay of Cait’s visual field to my monitors here at Shinra Tower, and I can control his actions in their entirety. The President requested a durable, unimposing creature that would be able to accompany Avalanche and handle itself in a fight without arousing suspicion. And with a few upgrades from his previous model, I knew that Cait would accomplish that criteria perfectly. If Avalanche find Sephiroth first, then we will know about it immediately.”

Reeve beamed down at the robot and Reno cleared his throat, trying his best to appear unconcerned.

“Not to burst your bubble or anything here Reeve, but how exactly are ya gonna get Avalanche to agree to let this goofy-looking thing tag along with them?”

“Ah, don’t you worry, Reno,” Reeve said with a wink. “I have my ways.”

“Right,” Reno said, unconvinced.

“He really is _adorable_ , Director Tuesti!” Elena interrupted, poking at Cait Sith with one hand. “Did you design him yourself?”

“Elena.”

Tseng shot her a single look and she turned bright pink.

“Sorry, Mr. Tseng, sir!”

Tseng sighed and turned back to Reeve. “When will it be ready for dispatch?”

“Mmm. A week, perhaps two? I will have a clearer idea in the next couple of days.”

“Understood.” Tseng nodded. “Keep me updated as to your progress. As for the rest of you – remain on standby. As soon as our scouts have any word of Sephiroth’s whereabouts, we will be headed out, so expect a call at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Mr. Tseng, sir!” Elena replied brightly. “Permission to retire to the rec room, sir?”

Tseng sighed and waved Elena away. “Granted.”

She headed out of Reeve’s office and Reno exchanged a glance with Rude, who just shrugged and smiled.

“Wanna grab a drink?”

Reno sighed contentedly. “Man, I thought you’d _never_ ask.”

XXX

Reno’s apartment was nice. Hell, it was better than nice. Black marble countertops glistened in the dimmed lighting. Gossamer curtains shifted in the breeze blowing in through the open balcony window. A panoramic view of the plate glimmered in the dark, a thousand windows illuminated gold. When he was a kid, Reno had only dreamed of a place like this. No broken glass in the alley outside. No busted-up bathroom sink. No air con that only worked when you smacked it with the mop handle a couple of times on the right-hand side.

By all accounts, this should have been paradise. It was everything he’d ever wanted. Lavish to the excess, now that he had the money to afford it. But that money had come with a price of its own. And as a result, the apartment had never really felt like a home.

The door banged hard as it swung open against the wall and Reno and Rude staggered in, Reno carrying his shoes in one hand. They hit the floor with the clatter as he made for the island counter in the kitchen and jumped up to sit back on it, head thick with drink, snapping his fingers to the music that had accompanied them faintly through the streets home. Rude closed the door and followed after Reno, moving past him to grab another few beers out of the fridge. He popped the bottlecaps off against the countertops and handed one to Reno, who took a long sip and checked his phone.

There was a missed call and subsequent text from Leslie waiting for him. Reno read it blearily, only really managing to pick out that Leslie was skipping town after Don Corneo had took off after another altercation with Avalanche. Headed for Wutai, Leslie suspected, but couldn’t be sure. Figures. Reno, too drunk to give it more thought, tossed his phone to the side and took another drink. If only he could disappear halfway across the world when things got hard. But that was the job. And it had never been Reno’s style to back down from a fight.

“I’m tired,” Reno said after a minute, staring out of the window at the view across Midgar after dark. “I’m so fucking tired, Rude.”

“Yeah,” Rude answered, coming to stand in front of Reno. “Me too.”

“Whaddaya think’s gonna happen now Rufus is in charge?”

“I think it’s Elena we should be more concerned about.”

“How’dya figure?”

“Well,” Rude said slowly, taking a long drink, “She’s on our team, _and_ she’s still one hundred percent backing Shinra’s corner. There’s a difference between working for someone and fighting for someone. And right now, it looks as if she still thinks Shinra’s worth fighting for.”

Reno nodded. “’Course she does – she’s a day outta the academy with stars in her eyes. Give it a year, and she’ll see what’s really going on. Guaranteed.”

They both fell silent, drinking steadily. _Stars in her eyes,_ Reno played back in his head _._ Now who did that once remind him of?

Reno had thought drinking would be the quickest way to forget the events of the last few days, but instead, it had made them entirely unavoidable. In the last hour or so, as Reno’s memories had seeped through in a haze of alcohol from where he’d shoved them aside, it had got harder and harder to ignore the guilt that had been burning away in his chest for the last four days. Zack. Aerith. Sector 7. Embers flickered at the edges of his vision wherever he turned to look. He could have stopped it. If he’d just broken orders sooner, he could have stopped it. Saved Zack. Protected Aerith. And the plate would never have had to go. All those people would have survived.

Now that they were alone, it was all Reno was able to think about.

“Screw Elena,” Reno muttered, quieter this time. “Screw Shinra. Ya know what? I’d kill for one good night. One good night’s sleep. But even if I sleep, I can’t stop. Being. _Tired_.”

“I know,” Rude answered, his voice soft and deep.

Reno was getting desperate, the fog of drink a gateway for the guilt to trickle through, and Rude glanced at him, knowing instantly what he was referring to.

“And we coulda done something. Man, I should’ve _known_ Shinra was lying about Reeve. If I’d just–”

“It’s done, Reno. You _couldn’t_ have known.”

Reno ignored him. “Aerith, she – she tried to say something, when I saw her. That it wasn’t our fault. But how _ain’t_ it our fault? _How_? I close my eyes and everything’s burning. Nibelheim. Sector 7. It’s burning and it’s _our fault_. It’s _still_ our fault.”

Rude stepped forward instinctively, putting his bottle down on the countertop and slipping his arms around Reno. Reno reached out, wrapping his fists around the lapels of Rude’s jacket and tugging him closer, burying his head in Rude’s shirt.

Even through the drink, Reno was mortified by how easily his eyes stung. He blinked them angrily, pressing his face into Rude’s shirt and gripping his jacket so tightly his knuckles ached. Rude tightened his grip on Reno imperceptibly in return, his own breaths coming a little unevenly, and they sat like that a while, not speaking, while the toll of the last week caught up to them in the comfortable anonymity of Reno’s apartment.

It felt like a long while before Reno pulled away. Rude straightened up and picked back up his bottle, emotions veiled by the shades over his eyes. Reno grabbed his own bottle and took a rough drink, but it wouldn’t make him forget. He knew that much already.

Memories of the evening’s earlier activities flitted through Reno’s mind, leant an idealistic fondness by the fog of alcohol in his mind. Really, they’d just hopped from bar to bar, doing their best to go unnoticed, and drinking to ignore the awful events of the last week. But even now, as Reno sat and drank, those thoughts were hijacked by that night with Cloud, and the fondness of it all deepened impossibly, to a time when things had been as simple as stealing a kiss from a stranger in the dark.

“You wanna know the worst part?” Reno said after a beat, voice raw. “I can’t stop thinking about him. Even with all this shit – Sephiroth, Zack, hell, the whole damn Sector we sent to the ground – he’s there. How fucked up is that? People are dead. Because of me. And I can’t stop thinking about some damn _guy_.”

Rude studied Reno curiously. “You know why, though. Right?”

Reno looked at him blankly. “Should I?”

“Yeah. Because you saved him. Outta all the things you just said, Cloud’s the only one you don’t regret. And that’s why you can’t get him outta your head.”

Reno stared at Rude for a long minute and then sighed. “That ain’t exactly making me feel any better. But yeah, whatever. I guess you’re right. I got him outta Midgar. Away from Shinra. That should be enough.”

“But it ain’t,” Rude said quietly. “Is it?”

Reno didn’t answer. Instead, he snatched his bottle up and hopped down off of the counter, wandering unsteadily over to the balcony to fully open the sliding glass door. He stepped out, feeling that cool breeze rustle through his hair and his clothes. He leant forwards onto the glass railing with his forearms and took a slow, deep breath. Rude came after him, leaning with one shoulder against the sliding door, bottle clutched in one hand.

“You really miss him, don’t you?”

Reno spoke without really thinking, drunken flashes of Cloud’s fleeting smiles playing across his mind.

“Yeah.”

The edges of Reno’s vision flickered; the bottle felt like lead in his hand. His body still ached from his fight with Cloud three days ago, despite Rude’s careful assistance. The words simply tumbled out, unbridled by drink and undoubtedly the truth. And Reno just turned to look desperately at Rude, because in the last seventy-two hours, these feelings had become very real and very unbearable, and he didn’t know how to ignore them anymore. He didn’t want to lose Cloud again.

Rude took a step towards him, gesturing to Reno with the bottle in his hand. “You don’t know him anymore. You’d be starting all over again. And even that ain’t a guarantee it’d work out the same.”

Reno stared at him, heart stuttering. He’d expected Rude to tell him that he was being ridiculous. Give up now, before he got hurt. But nothing in Rude’s tone warned him away, and the sad smile on his face further attested to that. It hurt worse than he thought it would.

“Don’t,” Reno said, pained. “Don’t do that. I don’t wanna hear it.”

“I told you before that I got your back. That I always will.” Rude walked over to stand next to Reno on the balcony. “I know what it’s like to fall for someone who’s meant to be the enemy. Who, under orders, you’re supposed to want to kill.”

“Yeah,” Reno said, feeling his stomach tighten. “And we all know how that worked out.”

“You like him or not?”

Reno blushed and looked away. “What kinda question is that?”

“Reno.”

“Fine. Yeah. So what?”

“Let yourself have this.” Rude slid his shades up to look at Reno with empathetic brown eyes. “I’ve been there. I let Chelsea go, and I wonder every day what might have happened if I hadn’t. If I’d just _asked_ her to stay. And I’m not saying now. I’m just saying… when it happens. If it happens. If you get the chance.”

“Rude,” Reno said, voice coming out strained. “We’re Turks. He’s Avalanche. That ain’t just gonna disappear overnight.”

His mind kept pulling back to the shadows of the abandoned labs, Cloud’s gloves at his wrist, and the way that both times they’d parted last had left Cloud with the softest hint of pink at his cheeks. He wanted to believe there was something there. Anything. Reno realised, then, that he’d been telling himself he’d only cared for that starry-eyed Trooper who saw the world ahead in every step, and that that Cloud didn’t exist anymore. But it wasn’t true. Because Cloud was still Cloud. Sure, he was a little bolder. Braver, with a few new moves to match. And, of course, he didn’t remember Reno.

But it was still _Cloud_.

Rude nodded. “You’re right. It never stopped me, though.”

They stood and drank a while longer, gazing out across Midgar as clouds began to gather in the sky. Eventually, Rude’s hand at Reno’s shoulder guided him back inside. Rude closed the sliding door behind them and steered Reno through to the bedroom, helping him peel off his clothes in the pitch darkness. Reno, drunk and miserable, let himself be taken care of. He hadn’t the energy to get defensive about it, and besides, without Rude, he probably would have just passed out on the floor.

“You staying?” Reno mumbled from under the bedcovers, already feeling his aching body relax into the softness of the sheets.

“You want me to?”

Reno shrugged, listening as the rain began to batter down off of the windows. “Sure,” he said with a yawn.

Rude chuckled and pulled off his shoes and jacket, slipping in on the opposite side of the bed. Reno rolled over under the covers, blinking away the bad thoughts that had been to intrude again on his drowsy mind. And just when his eyes began to sting, he felt Rude slip a protective arm about his waist, and the tension immediately ebbed.

“Just get some sleep, okay?” Rude murmured from behind him. “I ain’t going anywhere.”

“Better not be,” Reno muttered back.

Reno fell asleep with a hazy head and stinging eyes, but at least this time, the fires that permeated his usual dreams melted away after a while, morphing into blond hair turned gold by the rising sun. 


	9. Skeletons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I wanna get closer to where you hide,  
> I wanna see further into your eyes,  
> I wanna go deeper into what you deny,  
> I wanna keep falling until there's no lie.”  
> \- Skeletons, New Years Day.

A week would go by before Reno heard any word of Cloud, or Avalanche, again. It gave Reno the time to bury his feelings and get back into his work, not to mention recover from his lingering injuries. Training with Elena in the combat sim and a few times on some minor missions around Midgar let him get to know her skillset. She was fast, he’d give her that, skilled in both martial combat and firearms. But she was young and eager to please. It tripped her up a few times on the odd occasion that they’d been out, and it was just lucky that Reno or Rude had been there to watch her back. She wasn’t a bad teammate, but no-one could ever replace Rude as Reno’s partner, and if he was being honest, Elena’s desperation to prove herself to Tseng and Rufus had begun to get on his nerves.

Time ticked quickly on. The first report that came in from the scouts concerned Sephiroth – or someone at least matching his description. The rumour mill trickled back to Midgar, word that he’d been spotted heading for Junon. Tseng, of course, flew into a protective frenzy over Rufus, who was due to appear there in a days’ time to head an inauguration ceremony as the new President of the company. Not only that, but it had also exacerbated his stress as Rufus had become insistent on tracking Sephiroth personally, making noises about taking a team of execs and heading across the sea to Costa del Sol to begin a secondary search from there.

At Tseng’s word, Reno accompanied Elena and Rude to the briefing in the President’s office and stood in line with them in front of Rufus’s desk.

“Sephiroth is our priority,” Rufus said coolly, ignoring Tseng’s concerned glances. “However, Tseng has made it abundantly clear that he believes should Sephiroth somehow slip past our defences, my life would be in immediate danger. Therefore – Rude and Elena, you two will accompany Tseng to the Mythril Mines and try to intercept Sephiroth before he reaches Junon. Reno, you’ll be with me in Junon on standby. Understood?”

Elena nodded eagerly. “Sir, yes, sir!”

Reno grit his teeth. “You got it, boss.”

As soon as they stepped out of the President’s office Tseng pulled Reno aside and indicated to a confused Elena for her to continue on ahead with Rude.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Tseng said with a sigh, turning to face Reno.

“Damn right ya do. Why do I gotta be stuck on bodyguard duty?”

“Because asides from myself, I don’t trust anyone else as much as I do you to keep the President safe.”

“Oh, so _that’s_ it?” Reno said scathingly. “I’m taking a backseat ‘cause Rufus needs someone to wipe his ass while you’re away?”

“Don’t misunderstand.” Tseng’s tone sharpened. “I am fully aware that you’re ready to return to field work outside of Midgar, but there is a high probability that if Avalanche are tailing Sephiroth, then we may run into them as well.”

“Tseng, that’s _more_ of a reason I should be out in the field instead of stuck back in Junon! Man, I thought you were trying to _help_.”

“I _am_ ,” Tseng snapped, exasperated. “Do you understand the pressure Rufus has placed on me with regards to Strife? Since the night his father died, Rufus hasn’t forgotten his loss in that fight. Not only that, but since you openly disobeyed him, he’s now suspicious of where your loyalties lie. At least if you aren’t present in our next possible altercation with Avalanche, and Elena _is_ , you cannot be held accountable by Rufus if they get away.”

Reno stared at Tseng for a long beat, shocked. “Tseng, I…”

“Hey!” Elena called from down the hallway, bouncing on the balls of her feet and waving her hand. “Is everything okay?”

Tseng held Reno’s gaze for a fraction of a beat longer and then turned away. “Perfectly, Elena,” he called calmly. “We’re done here.”

Reno accompanied the trio out to the rooftop, bidding Rude a fond goodbye and feeling suddenly strange to watch him clamber into the chopper knowing Reno would not be accompanying him. Elena sat herself in the back and Tseng rolled back the door as the blades began to thump slowly round in the air.

“Look after him for me, Reno,” Tseng called as the helicopter roared into life, almost lost in the whirr of the blades.

Reno nodded and stepped back. “You got it.”

The chopper lifted into the air and Reno watched it go, feeling suddenly vulnerable without Rude by his side. He couldn’t remember the last big mission they’d been apart for. Concerns tugged at his thoughts as he turned and headed back inside. Reno only hoped that Tseng would keep his word, that if they encountered Avalanche, then they’d let them go. But Elena was Rufus’s cat among the pigeons; she might have appeared eager to impress Tseng, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t got her own set of orders from the President with regards to Cloud.

Cloud. Reno stuck a hand into his pocket and felt for the card nestled there. He knew what Tseng was doing now, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to tag along, just in the hopes that if they did encounter Avalanche, then Reno might get the chance to see Cloud again. Aerith, too. Despite everything with the Mako Reactors and Sector 7 only happening a week ago, its consequences had already become visible in Midgar, rippling outwards wherever you turned to look. Tensions were high, and Reno always felt like talking to Aerith was a little reprieve from the weight of reality.

Reno headed back to the President’s office and Rufus looked up at him from where he was pulling on a jacket as Reno stepped into the room.

“Oh, come now, Reno,” Rufus said with a smile. “Don’t look so glum. Don’t you want to accompany me to Junon? I thought a celebration would be something you’d enjoy.”

Reno felt his throat tighten and he managed a curt nod. “Uh, yeah. Should be good.”

“That’s the spirit.” Rufus patted Reno’s shoulder as he stepped out from behind the desk and made for the door. “After all, it should give us plenty of time to talk.”

Reno tensed. Oh, this was just great. He could think of only one motive Rufus would have to get Reno alone to talk, and he was sure as hell it couldn’t be for any other reason than his disobedience the night of his father’s death.

Rufus’s voice derailed Reno’s train of thought. “We’ll be taking the airship to Junon. Get yourself ready and meet me on the landing pad. Wheels up in fifteen.”

XXX

Reno didn’t hate Rufus. Not like he wanted to, anyway. Rufus had his flaws, sure, but so did everyone else. And although Reno was loathed to admit it, one of the main reasons he had more faith in Rufus than he did Rufus’s father was because of Tseng’s trust in him. Tseng always seemed to be one step ahead, plotting and planning and never making sense until he was forced to show his hand. And despite it driving Reno up the wall most of the time, Reno could definitely respect Tseng’s cunning, at least in hindsight.

This, however, did not make Reno any less uncomfortable to share the airship’s main cabin with Rufus.

They flew low in towards the coast where the dark mass of Junon crouched at the edge of the ocean, the giant canon pointed out to sea visible even from this distance away. Inside, they’d wanted for nothing; rich drinks, plush furniture suites, and an armed escort at the door outside. The journey had passed mostly in silence on Reno’s part as Rufus’s phone had rung virtually non-stop since leaving Midgar. But as they neared the last leg of the journey and night drew in, Rufus slipped his phone into his inner jacket pocket and looked across at Reno, who was stood by the huge glass windows that lined both sides of the room.

“Tseng reports that they found no trace of Sephiroth in the Mythril Mines earlier this afternoon. They did, however, run into Avalanche.”

Reno tensed instantly but forced his tone to come out level. “Oh yeah?”

“It seems that Avalanche got away.”

Rufus watched Reno’s reaction carefully and Reno did his best to squash his immediate relief. Instead, he made a show of gritting his teeth and folding his arms, turning back to look out of the window as if the news had annoyed him. If Rufus had seen through the charade, he said nothing. They stayed silent for a while after that as the airship neared Junon, the sun sinking lower into the sky.

Rufus eventually sighed and reached for his drink. “Tseng tells me he offered you paid leave a few weeks back, but you didn’t take it.”

“Uh, nope,” Reno said, feeling his stomach instantly begin to knot again. “Was gonna stick around in case some shit went down with Avalanche. Lucky I did.”

“Lucky indeed. How fortunate you and Rude had failed to apprehend Avalanche in Sector 7, or else there would have been no need of your services the night they attacked Shinra Tower.”

Reno winced and turned around, feeling a flush rise to his cheeks. “Y-Yeah, well, Sector 7 was a shit show all round. Avalanche outnumbered us and–”

“You don’t have to make excuses, Reno.”

Reno glanced up, pulse quickening. “Boss?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rufus said nonchalantly, leaning back in his seat. “However, I hope you know the trust your Director has placed in you. Tseng has been run ragged by Heidegger with regards to security for this ceremony tonight, and I know he’s felt especially pressured since my father’s death. Therefore, I trust that you will not give Tseng – or I, for that matter – any further cause for concern.”

Reno stared at Rufus for a long beat, waiting for another censorious comment, but nothing came. Was Rufus really letting him off with just a verbal warning? Reno doubted it. But then again, the reprimanding seemed to be more directed at cutting Tseng some slack than Reno’s overt disobedience. And that, at least, Reno could do.

He nodded slowly to Rufus after a moment. “You got it, boss.”

The airship descended on Junon as the sun began to set, sending glittering orange light across the cresting waves of the ocean. It had been a long while since Reno had been to the coast, and he took in a deep breath as they disembarked the airship, feeling the salt swirl through his lungs. Rufus nodded to the officers who’d gathered to welcome his arrival and then turned to address Reno.

“The inauguration ceremony won’t start for another hour or so. You have permission to take five until it commences.”

Reno frowned. “But, boss, I–”

“That’s an order, Reno,” Rufus called as he walked away. “Tseng worries too much for his own good.”

Reno was left standing on the landing strip for the airship, glancing around as squadrons of Shinra recruits rushed back and forth, barking out orders at one another. Eventually Reno shrugged and made for the building on his left. He’d visited before; it was a barracks for the guards stationed here, and Reno reckoned it would be the easiest place to get something to drink.

He stepped inside and headed for the rec room. Surprisingly, it was empty – no doubt everyone was out preparing for the ceremony. Reno slunk across the room and made himself a coffee, taking a slow, grateful drink and leaning back against the counter to savour it. It was quiet in here, away from the cacophony of the airship and the strained shouts of the Shinra recruits. Reno stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out the card with Cloud’s number on it. He stared at it for a long while, sipping his coffee, and then swapped it for his phone.

“Yo, Rude.”

_“Reno. Was just about to call.”_

“You headed to Junon?”

_“No. Orders from Tseng are to return to HQ and check in with Reeve. Word is Cait Sith’s just a few days from being fully operational and he wants to discuss where we’re sending him first.”_

Reno took a long drink. “That so?”

_“What about you? How’s His Highness?”_

“A royal pain in the ass. As usual.” Reno paused and cleared his throat. “Did you, uh, see Cloud?”

_“Yeah, him and the rest of Avalanche. He’s fine, before you ask. We didn’t engage. Aerith was there, so Tseng wasn’t eager to start a fight.”_

“Go figures,” Reno said derisively. “And what about Elena? She cause any trouble?”

_“Not the kind you’re talking about. She let it slip to Avalanche that we’re tracking Sephiroth too and Tseng almost killed her on the spot.”_

Reno couldn’t help but laugh. “Man, Rufus can pretend she’s earned her wings all he wants, but she’s still Emma’s goofy little sister to me.”

_“She can fight, but she’s got a long way to go before she’s a Turk, that’s for sure.”_

Reno sighed and checked the time. “Look, I gotta go. Rufus’s dumbass parade is starting soon.”

_“Yeah. See you back at Midgar.”_

Reno hung up, ditched his mug in the sink, and made for the door. Aggravation prickled across his skin at the thought of spending the next few hours as Rufus’s meat shield, but at least now there was more of a reason for it if Sephiroth had slipped past the other Turks. Reno, so entirely engrossed by his own thoughts, threw back the rec room door and walked straight into a SOLDIER running past.

“Shit!” Reno yelped and looked up, feeling a steadying hand on his arm. “Watch where the fuck you’re–”

“Reno?” whispered Cloud, eyes wide.

Reno stared at Cloud, mouth half-open, but no words came out. Just what in the hell was Cloud doing here? And where was the rest of his group? And _why_ was he soaking wet?

Before he had a chance to ask, however, the door at the end of the hall began to open, and Reno, instantly panicked at the idea that Cloud might get caught, grabbed Cloud’s arm and tugged him into the nearest room. The door slammed shut behind them and only then did Reno realise his mistake: this was a supply closet and the space not occupied by shelves in here was _tiny_. Not just that, but as soon as the door had closed, it had left them in near enough pitch darkness.

Cloud bumped against Reno in the dark. “Ah, sorry, I–”

“The hell are you doing here?” Reno whispered fiercely. “You realise if Rufus sees you its game-fucking-over?”

“Reno. I’m SOLDIER – or I at least _look_ like one. No-one’s recognised me.” A pause. The Mako in Cloud’s eyes seemed to shimmer in the dark, his tone irritatingly calm. “It’s fine. Why are you here?”

“I’m–” Reno tried to take a step back in the dark and hit the shelving units hard. “– _Fuck_ , dammit. The President’s here. Why else?”

Reno, as he took a step forwards again and his torso brushed against Cloud’s damp shirt, realised how tight the space was in here, and how close he was to Cloud. His mind recalled the last time they’d been this close, in the low light of the abandoned labs, the feel of Cloud’s hands against his skin, the fleeting smile on Cloud’s face at Reno’s expense. Immediately Reno tensed, blush rising to his cheeks, and Cloud, misinterpreting the tension as imbalance, brought both of his hand up to hold Reno’s arms and steady him in case he fell.

Reno’s breath hitched in his throat.

“You good?” Cloud whispered, as the clunk of army boots ran past the door.

Reno swallowed thickly. “You, uh, didn’t answer my question.”

“Costa del Sol. We’re headed there and we need transport.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” Reno tried valiantly to calm his pounding heart. “Rufus is heading over there too, after his ceremony. He’s got a cargo ship docked in the bay. Might be your chance.”

Reno felt Cloud nod in the dark. “Yeah. Thanks.”

“And why’re you soaking wet?” Reno asked, prodding Cloud’s soggy vest with one finger. “You didn’t, uh… _swim_ here, did ya?”

“I… didn’t _not_ swim. Let’s leave it at that.”

They didn’t say anything for another long beat, just stood and let their eyes adjust. It was quiet in here, enough so that Reno could hear both his and Cloud’s shallow breaths as they struggled to stay quiet and not knock against anything. Reno was painfully aware of Cloud’s grip on his forearms, and if he took another small step forward, he’d be close enough to lean in and taste the saltwater lingering on Cloud’s lips. That thought sent sparks through his skin. He did his best to ignore it, already excruciatingly aware of the heat spreading slowly throughout his body at Cloud’s mere proximity to him, and tried to think of anything else in the world to distract himself.

It didn’t work. 

Cloud, satisfied Reno wasn’t going to topple, dropped his hands. “This still doesn’t make us even, you know.”

“Oh, _really_?” Reno shot back instinctively, heart fluttering, already missing the warmth of Cloud’s touch. “Far as I’m concerned, it does. You saved me three times, I saved you three.”

“What’s the third?”

Reno rolled his eyes. “This. First was at HQ, second was the expressway, and–”

“Wait, wait,” Cloud interrupted, confused. “Are you talking about Shinra Tower? You didn’t save me at Shinra Tower.”

“Oh, yeah, I did. Did you really thought Rufus was really gonna let you kick his ass and get off lightly? Orders were to shoot ya to smithereens.”

Cloud’s voice wavered, just a little. “But, you… didn’t.”

“ _Exactly_.” Reno smiled smugly, missing Cloud’s tone entirely. “So that makes three.”

The sound of footsteps directly outside of the closet door silenced Cloud’s reply and they both held their breath, listening intently to whoever was passing by. But they didn’t pass by. They stopped right in front of the door.

“What do we do?” Cloud whispered. “I don’t think–”

“Shut it, would ya?” Reno hissed, lurching forwards and slapping a hand over Cloud’s mouth.

They stood in the darkness, Reno realising immediately that he’d messed up as he stood, pressed tight against Cloud, who was braced back against the shelves so as not to fall. Neither of them moved a muscle, Reno feeling Cloud’s warm breath against his hand, his chest rising and falling against his outstretched arm. This was torture; being this close, body burning, and not able to make a sound. Cloud’s clothes smelled strongly of saltwater, and despite having had a little time to dry off, his hair still wasn’t up to its usual gravity-defying buoyancy. It had an effortlessly endearing effect on his appearance.

 _Get it together_ , Reno berated himself, unable to drag his eyes away. _You’re about to get caught in a supply closet with a known Shinra fugitive and all ya can think about is how **good** he looks? Yeesh._

But he couldn’t help himself. Cloud was staring at him, eyes wide and glimmering, his hands twitching at his sides as if searching for something to hold but fighting against it. Despite his gloves, Reno’s bare fingers were pressed tight against Cloud’s cheek, and even that sent flashes of hunger through him; that thing that lived in him unfurling at the mere idea of pressing harder, just to hear a hitch in Cloud’s breathing, to see how easy it’d be to make him moan.

After an agonisingly long moment, they heard a muffled voice call out on the other side of the door.

“What do you mean, not this one?” A pause, presumably a reply, and then: “Oh, fine, alright.”

The owner of the voice left, Reno and Cloud listening until their footsteps had receded into silence before breathing out a sigh of relief, Reno’s in more ways than one. He withdrew his hand from Cloud’s face and stepped back, letting Cloud up off of the shelves and putting some blessed distance between them before he did something he might come to regret.

“That was close,” Cloud whispered, a little breathlessly.

Reno snorted. “Yeah, no thanks to you. Should get outta here before anyone else shows up.”

“Can I ask you something?”

Reno hesitated. “Depends.”

“Back in Midgar, I asked you if we’d met before,” Cloud said slowly. “We… _have_ met before, haven’t we?”

Reno’s throat closed up. Cloud stared at him from the shadows, brow furrowed, the Mako in his eyes glowing dully. Should he agree? Had Cloud remembered? If so, how _much_ did he remember? Too many questions Reno didn’t have answers for flickered through his mind, and all the while Cloud watched him, carefully gauging Reno’s expression and subsequently sending another flash of heat through his skin.

After a long pause, Reno nodded. “Yeah. We’ve met. You… you remember?”

Cloud made to reply, but in that moment Reno’s phone blared in the darkness and he cursed, pulling it awkwardly out of his pocket and answering before anyone outside heard the noise.

 _“Reno, where are you?”_ Rufus did not sound pleased. _“I said take five, not a hundred and five. The ceremony is starting.”_

“Shit,” Reno swore. “My bad, boss. I’m on my way.”

_“You had better be.”_

Rufus hung up and Reno stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Cloud watched him, apparently amused.

“Duty calls?”

Reno ignored him. “You gonna be okay getting out of here?”

“Why?” Cloud said wryly. “You worried about me?”

“Fuck no,” Reno said defensively, grateful for the darkness to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks. “Turks got hearts of stone, remember?”

Reno pushed down hard on the door handle and they stumbled out in the lurid lighting of the barrack hallway, fortunately empty and blessedly cool. Cloud shot Reno a questioning glance as, without warning, the door at the end of the hall burst open and three uniformed recruits burst in. Reno and Cloud leapt back as they ran past, panting, calling out to one another and seemingly entirely unaware that Reno and Cloud were standing there.

“Fuck, we’re so screwed! The new President is already here!”

“You don’t think I know that? Just hurry!”

Reno glanced at Cloud as the three recruits ran by. “Huh. Would ya look at that. You were right – you’re damn near invisible to ‘em.”

“Makes a nice change,” Cloud said, shrugging.

Reno was about to make another comment when a fourth officer stepped into the hallway, dressed in the red garments of a commander. He grit his teeth, caught sight of Cloud, and his expression darkened further.

“Hey!” he called out sharply, striding over. “Why are you still dressed like that? Come ‘ere!”

The officer fell short as his gaze slid over and took in Reno, who instantly raised an eyebrow at the officer’s tone. Something protective seared through his chest, hot and angry, overriding the earlier desire that now dimmed considerably in the face of such rage.

“That how ya speak to Shinra’s finest, huh?” Reno all but snarled the question.

“Sir!” The officer visibly paled and stood to attention. “My apologies, sir!”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Reno turned and gestured to Cloud. “Get this SOLDIER in uniform or the new President’ll be hearing about the state ya got your troops in down here.”

The officer gulped. “Sir, yes, sir!”

“Good.” Reno smirked, turned to Cloud, and gave him a two-finger salute. “I guess I’ll see ya around.”

Cloud smiled softly. “Yeah.”

Reno strode out of the barracks, hands in his pockets, grinning like a fool. Rufus could berate him the entire ceremony for his lateness; it didn’t matter, he didn’t care. There was the slimmest, smallest chance that Cloud might have really remembered him. And not only that, but he was hiding right under Rufus’s nose at Rufus’s own inauguration display. Oh, this was too good. Reno couldn’t wait to get back to Midgar and tell Rude all about it.


	10. Cringe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Lover, come hold me, head’s on the fritz,  
> Body intoxicated, feelings comfortably mixed,  
> Lover, come hold me, could you forget?  
> That I got a secret, digging a ditch.”   
> – Cringe, Matt Maeson.

Another week would go by before Reno saw Cloud again. With Rufus overseas and scouts widening their search for Sephiroth, it wasn’t long before they got a hit on Avalanche. At Tseng’s order, Cait Sith was dispatched to intercept them at the Golden Saucer. Once Reeve had made contact with the party, it wasn’t long before Reno slunk upstairs to sneak a look.

“I’m just surprised, is all,” Reeve said as he led Reno into his office. “You’ve never taken such an interest in my work before.”

“Yeah, well,” Reno said vaguely, struggling to come up with a reasonable excuse on the spot. “Circuits and stuff. Could be useful.”

“Tseng didn’t send you?”

Reno blushed. “I – uh, yeah, obviously. Tseng sent me. That, too.”

_Oh, fuck me,_ Reno thought, as Reeve shot him a sidelong glance but said nothing as they stepped behind his desk. _What I wouldn’t give to just ask him to wingman me. Circuits ‘and stuff’? What a dumbass._

“Here’s Cait’s current visual feed.”

Reno leant in, watching Reeve tap his keyboard and the little translucent disk at his temples lit up. The monitor immediately presented them with a first person POV of the wilderness. Tropical trees and pale earth filled the screen, and striding out ahead was Aerith. Reno did a double take. She looked completely different. She still wore that pink dress and red jacket, still had her hair done up in Zack’s ribbon, but now… she looked so much happier. Free. The wind whipped through her braid and when she smiled it was out of real joy, and not just to cover up her sadness.

_“Let’s go, Cait!”_ She called back over her shoulder. _“Come on!”_

“Coming,” Reeve answered, and they both heard it echo through the screen in Cait’s unusual tones.

Reno glanced at him, shaken from his reveries. “That’s weird, man.”

Reeve had the decency to look a tad embarrassed. “Yes, well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Finding Sephiroth and returning Jenova to Shinra is of unequivocal importance. If my interference as Cait Sith helps locate Sephiroth in any way, then I see a little… ‘abnormality’ as being well worth it.”

“And what about Avalanche?”

“What about them?”

Reno shrugged. “How d’ya feel about Avalanche? You wanna turn them over to Shinra, too?”

“I…” Reeve turned to look back at the monitor. “Whatever it takes to stop Sephiroth. Is that the answer Tseng’s looking for?”

“Tseng ain’t the one asking.”

Reeve regarded Reno for a long moment before Reno sighed and folded his arms.

“Nevermind. What’re the rest of ‘em up to?”

Reeve instructed Cait Sith to turn around and the robot did as bid, glancing back at the assembled group walking behind Cait and Aerith. It took Reno no time at all to pick out Cloud amongst them and something snagged in his chest to see him smile. Because Cloud _was_ smiling, albeit softly, walking alongside Tifa and chatting – although about what, Cait Sith was too far away to overhear. Behind them walked Barret and the red lion Reno had seen on the roof of Shinra Tower the night of their escape, as well as a dark-haired Wutaian girl Reno didn’t recognise.

“Hold on,” Reeve murmured, “I recognise these woods.”

Reno dragged his eyes away from Cloud long enough to take in the surroundings. Rolling hills of hot earth, wide-leafed arching trees, and as Cait Sith glanced toward the horizon –

“Gongaga,” Reno and Reeve said in unison.

The wreckage of the Gongaga Reactor loomed in the background, hunched like some terrible creature at the outskirts of the town. Reno remembered it well from their search for the Support Materia. In fact, it was one of the times he’d met Reeve’s prototype Caith Sith out in the field.

Reeve nodded to Reno. “Might be a good idea to let Tseng know. If Avalanche are headed to Gongaga, they might have a lead on Sephiroth. I’ll stay here and see if I can gather any more information via Cait Sith.”

“Sure thing.”

Reno didn’t need telling twice. He headed for B3, feeling giddy at the prospect of seeing Cloud in person again after the last time they’d met, and walked in on Tseng in discussion with Elena across his desk. Elena snapped to attention as Reno came in and Tseng waved her away.

“Yo, Reeve got a hit on Avalanche. They’re headed for Gongaga. He thinks they’ve got something on Sephiroth.”

Tseng nodded sharply. “Then let’s not waste any time. Elena–”

“Yes, Mr. Tseng, sir!”

“–contact Rude and tell him to meet us on the landing pad. Be ready to leave in ten.”

“Right away, sir!” Elena chirruped.

She turned and almost sprinted out of the room, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she went. Reno waited until she was well out of earshot before turning back to Tseng and leaning one hand on the desk.

“The hell was all that about?”

Tseng sighed. “The President has developed quite the grudge against Avalanche – in particular, Strife – since their attack on Shinra Tower. I’ve been able to divert attention away from them with Sephiroth for the time being, but he has become insistent on teaching them a lesson since our run in at the Mythril Mines. That, I presume, is what is intended at this next interception.”

“Say what?” Reno felt his throat tighten. “We ain’t really gonna have to deal with them, ya know… Turk style? Not after all this. Are we?”

“Let’s hope not.” Tseng sighed and stepped out from behind his desk. “I was headed to Gongaga regardless for a meeting with Scarlet, so it should be no trouble to accompany you on this mission. But between Cait Sith and Elena, the President has us in quite the predicament.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should tell your boyfriend to lay off,” Reno said through gritted teeth. “I’m getting real sick of being under a microscope every time I’m outta town.”

“He doesn’t know, Reno,” Tseng said warningly, his voice low. “And I doubt even I could change his mind on the matter. So I will do what I can. And you will do what you always do. And after Gongaga, we will see where that leaves us with Rufus.”

Tseng strode out, leaving Reno standing alone, fists clenched. At first, he’d been elated at the prospect of getting to see Cloud again. But now, even if they somehow got Elena out of the picture at Gongaga for long enough to help Avalanche escape, Cait Sith was with them, recording everything, and feeding it directly back to Reeve. Someone, somewhere, would find out.

Shit.

XXX

They arrived in Gongaga ahead of schedule. Tseng had sat on the phone with Reeve the entire time, checking Avalanche’s progress towards the town and landing in a dip hidden by a cluster of rocks far enough from the Gongaga’s outskirts that they wouldn’t be noticed. Reno shot Rude an affirming glance as they hopped down out of the chopper into the hot air, the warmth of the sun here sending rippling mirages across the earth as far as the eye could see.

“You have your orders,” Tseng said with a firm nod. “Elena, Reno, Rude, take the entrance to town. Focus your efforts in the trees. They’re likely to take the most secluded route into Gongaga so as not to be spotted. If you find anything at all, report back to me at the reactor.”

“And if we find them, Mr. Tseng, sir?” Elena asked.

“The President would like any potential information regarding Sephiroth extracted from them in any manner deemed appropriate.”

Elena nodded. “Understood.”

They split and headed into the trees, these tall, arching trunks with wide, waxy green leaves protruding from all sides. Elena strode out confidently ahead, scanning back and forth as they went. Reno stuffed his hands into his pockets to disguise his restlessness. Rude noticed and offered him an almost imperceptible nod of reassurance. It didn’t help.

“I should check the outskirts,” Elena piped up after a moment or two. “It might be they’re not sticking to the path.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Reno scoffed. “We’ll wait here for ya.”

Elena shot them a confused look, but already knowing better than to poke the bear, turned and jogged off into the wilds. Reno let out an aggravated sigh and sat back against a nearby rock. Rude watched him, eyebrow raised, and folded his arms.

“It’ll be fine. Cloud can handle Elena, not to mention he’s got a whole team with him now.”

“It’s not Cloud I’m worried about,” Reno said, swatting angrily at a mosquito buzzing around his neck. “Or Elena. It’s Reeve.”

“Reeve?” Rude echoed. It took a minute to dawn on him. “Oh, right. I get you. What’s your call?”

Reno had been agonising over his answer for the entirety of their flight here. He knew what he _wanted_ to do, but he didn’t think he was ready for the ramifications of it just yet. If Elena had been Reno’s punishment for disobeying the first time, what would the second be?

Reno was stirred from his thoughts by Rude’s hand on his arm. He looked up and Rude nodded.

“Hey. Whatever it is, I’ll help.”

Reno sighed. “Ya really think Reeve’ll turn us over to Rufus?”

“He might. Might not. Depends how attached he’s got.”

“To Avalanche?”

Rude nodded. “I mean, look at you. Hook, line, and sinker.”

Reno snorted. “Man, I ain’t the only one. I know you still got eyes for Tifa.”

Rude blushed and coughed away his embarrassment, turning away from Reno and folding his arms. Reno chuckled and sat back against the rock, bringing up one leg to lean it over the knee of the other.

“I knew it,” Reno grinned victoriously. “Poor Elena.”

Rude glanced up. “No. She likes Tseng.”

“What?” Reno leant forwards, his grin widening. “You’re _kidding_. I had no idea. When did ya find that out?”

“On our mission to the Mythril Mines. Caught her asking him for drinks when we got back.”

“Oh man, this is the _good_ shit. Lemme guess – Tseng pulled the awkward ‘I’m your boss’ card and Elena straight up died of embarrassment.”

“Nope. Said he didn’t drink.”

“Ouch,” Reno said, laughing. “Brutal. If she hangs around long enough outta hours she’ll see that ain’t true. Man, I kinda feel bad for her. Between Aerith and Rufus, she ain’t got a chance in hell of winning over Tseng.”

The conversation was interrupted suddenly by the reappearance of Elena at some speed. She came sprinting into the clearing and skidded to halt, cheeks flush, panting.

“They’re here!” she called breathlessly. “They’re really here!”

Reno’s heart shot up into his throat. He glanced at Rude and Rude nodded, so Reno hopped off of the rock he’d been sitting on and dusted off his jacket, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Then it’s time.”

Elena nodded fiercely. “I’ll report to Mr. Tseng right away, sir!”

Before Reno could say anything else, Elena sprinted off into the trees, fast disappearing between the arching trunks. Reno turned to look at Rude and shrugged.

“Well, that was easier than I thought it’d be.”

And just as Elena had forewarned, a rustle to their right alerted them to the arrival of Avalanche. Reno stepped forward to fall in line beside Rude and smiled to see Aerith emerge from the trees first at the head of the group. As soon as she laid eyes on them a brilliant smile broke out on her face and she rushed forwards, throwing her arms around them both.

“Reno! Rude!” she cried, squeezing them tight.

“Hey there, princess,” Reno said warmly. “It’s been a while.”

Rude ruffled her hair as she stepped back. “How’s life outside of Midgar?”

“It’s amazing! What are you doing here?”

“We’re here for you, actually.”

“Oh yeah?” Aerith put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Come to take this _dangerous_ fugitive into custody, huh?”

Reno chuckled. “Something like that.”

As they spoke, the rest of Avalanche arrived. Tifa and Cloud came jogging through the wilds, calling Aerith’s name, and skidded to a halt when they saw Aerith next to Reno and Rude. After a beat, Barret, the red lion, Cait Sith, and the unknown girl followed. Barret immediately tensed when he laid eyes on the Turks, hand curling tight into a fist.

But Reno only had eyes for Cloud.

“Hey there, stranger,” he teased lightly. “How you been?”

“Reno.”

Cloud said his name with something so close to relief it made Reno’s heart ache.

“Yo, you ain’t here to take us in, are you?” Barret called.

“Nope,” Reno said. “But we, uh, ain’t got much time. Tseng’s on his way here, and trust me, ya don’t wanna stick around for him to show up.”

Barret made to answer but Cloud’s hand on his arm silenced whatever he was going to say next. Cloud stepped forward and held Reno’s gaze for a long beat before he nodded.

“Lead the way.”

Reno bobbed his head and spun around, walking off down the opposite path from the one Elena had taken, the intensity of Cloud’s stare burned into his mind. Aerith caught up to him and slung her arm through his, chattering happily about their adventures so far.

“Who’s the chick?” Reno asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the stranger in their party.

“Oh, that’s Yuffie. She tried to rob us in the woods but we decided to take her with us instead.”

Reno raised an eyebrow. “That right? And the dog?”

“He’s not a dog!” Aerith said quickly. “He won’t tell us his real name yet, but Hojo called him Red-XIII.”

After everything Reno had seen in his time with the Turks, a talking dog wasn’t the strangest thing on the list. But it was still weird to look back over his shoulder and see Barret chatting with Red-XIII, the way the beast’s mouth curled up into an unnatural shape as he spoke.

Cloud’s voice cut off whatever Aerith was going to say next. “Aerith, can I have a sec?”

“Oh, yeah!” She smiled and unlaced her arm from Reno’s. “Sure thing.”

Aerith fell back to walk with Rude and the others, and Cloud took her place, falling in line with Reno at the head of the party.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Reno nodded. “The boss didn’t take kindly to ya kicking his ass back at Shinra Tower. Orders were to get you outta the picture once we found out about Sephiroth.”

“Sephiroth?” Cloud echoed. “We’re not here for Sephiroth. Aerith’s ex used to live in Gongaga, and she wanted to visit his parents.”

Reno heart dropped. Images of Zack lying bloodied in the dirt flashed through his mind, accompanied by Aerith’s heartbroken face in the shadows of her bedroom in Sector 5. Cloud studied Reno curiously, head tilted to one side.

“Did you know him?”

_Didn’t **you**?_ Reno wanted to reply, but caught himself before he could. Prodding around in Cloud’s muddled memories wouldn’t help the situation any, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, Reno just bobbed his head in a vaguely affirming manner and sniffed nonchalantly.

“I mean, after Genesis bailed on being a SOLDIER and took, like, a hundred of ‘em with him, there weren’t that many 1st Classers left.”

Cloud frowned. “But… you didn’t recognise me.”

Reno did his best to brush off the comment, but he couldn’t ignore the way it sent flashes of guilt through his chest. “Man, ya expect me to remember every face in Shinra? Gimme a break.”

Cloud made to reply, but a cry from behind them jarred them from the conversation. They turned, seeing Yuffie at the tail of the group running forwards, waving her arms in distress. Behind her a horde of dark shadows thundered across the jungle path, tall, insectoid creatures that looked somewhat like a hybrid between a mantis and a spider.

“Kimara nest!” Yuffie yelled. “ _Run_!”

Reno’s hand immediately went to his nightstick and he saw Cloud do the same with the Buster Sword. Cloud shot him a half smile as Tifa swept Yuffie up into her arms and they hurtled past.

“Follow Rude!” Reno called. “We’ll buy ya some time!”

Tifa nodded and relayed his orders to the rest of the group. Reno felt his stomach knot as Cait Sith gave him a pointed look as he ran past, but there wasn’t the time to stop and argue. The kimara bugs came upon them fast and they leapt into the fray. Reno swung the nightstick back and forth, releasing crackling beams of electricity across their chitinous flesh. The creatures hissed and snapped their pincers forwards in an attack that would no doubt snap bone if it hit. Reno rolled and duck and dove, panting with the effort of taking them down one after another.

Reno pulled back, breathing laboured, and flicked blood from his nightstick. He found Cloud a little way off, pulling the Buster Sword from the body of a kimara bug with practised ease. 

“Ya think we’re even yet?” Reno called wryly, glancing to where the next wave of kimara prepared to strike.

The faintest of smirks curled Cloud’s lips. “Not even close.”

Cloud gestured to the oncoming bugs with his sword and nodded to Reno. Reno caught on quick and nodded back, breaking forwards into a sprint. Cloud braced his sword vertically against his body and swung upwards as Reno landed on the flat of the blade, launching him up into the air. A fleeting glimpse of the oncoming creatures from above told Reno there was no end to them in sight. Nonetheless, they both needed an opening if they were to escape.

And Reno was happy to oblige.

He activated the nightstick mid-air, conjuring a crackling orb of electricity to the end of it and hurling it downwards. It hit the ground in the centre of the swarm and exploded outwards, catching the majority of the kimara bugs in its radius. Their bodies convulsed as the electricity shot through them before collapsing to the ground, smoking slightly as they fell. Reno dropped back down, a perfect landing, and called back over his shoulder to Cloud.

“We get outta here! We’re just leading Elena straight ba–”

_“Move!”_

Cloud lunged forwards with a shout, swinging the Buster Sword in a wide arc through the air. Reno flinched back, bringing up his forearms to block the apparent blow, but it never came. Instead, Cloud’s body hit him full force, the arm not sheathing the Buster Sword onto his back coming around to wrap around him as they hit the ground and began to roll across the uneven terrain. A stray kimara reared and shrieked, plunging its long, blades forelegs into the dirt behind them where Reno had stood only moment ago. The earth dropped away and Cloud and Reno rolled for a few more metres, at last coming to a stop in a hollow pit at the bottom of a slope half-covered in foliage. Reno made to get up, but Cloud held onto him and gestured to the hill above them with a sharp jab of his head. The creaking of the kimara bugs sounded close by, but after they waited a few minutes with bated breath, it seemed the bugs had given up the hunt now that their targets were out of sight.

“Close one,” Reno said, suddenly very aware of Cloud’s arm hooked around his torso. “But I think ya can let go now, wonder boy.”

Cloud blushed and pulled away, clambering to his feet and offering Reno his hand. Reno took it and stood, dusting the worst of the dry dirt from his clothes. As he did, a flash of white from his pocket drew Cloud’s attention to the ground where it had fallen, and only too late and with an overwhelming sensation of dread did Reno realise what Cloud was reaching for.

“No!” he blurted and lunged forwards.

Cloud picked up the card and shot a confused look at Reno, who barrelled into him with a significant amount of force in his desperation. Cloud steadied Reno with one hand and held onto the card with the other, just out of Reno’s reach.

“What is it?” Cloud asked.

“Nothing!” Reno snapped quickly. “Just – give it back!”

Cloud did not give it back. Curiosity peaked, he held the card just a little further away from Reno’s outstretched hands and turned it over. Reno’s stomach dropped and he pulled away from Cloud sharply, turning away so that Cloud couldn’t see the embarrassed flush that had risen to his cheeks. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known better – left the card on his nightstand at home where it couldn’t have got lost again. But this wasn’t like losing it in Sector 5. This was so much worse than that.

Cloud took a long beat to find his voice. Reno stared at a point on the ground, arms folded, trying not to feel like he was about to explode from humiliation.

“This… is my handwriting.”

Reno squeezed his eyes shut. Cloud, obviously expecting some sort of reaction, kept going.

“Why do you have this?”

Reno didn’t answer. What could he say? ‘Hey, you gave it to me four years ago and like an actual creep I kept it in my pocket all that time in case ya never came back’? He’d never felt so mortified in his entire life. Reno wasn’t the sappy type. Hell, he barely even did _romantic_ , even with guys he’d _liked_. And to have one of the people he’d actually cared about more than himself find out that he still had those feelings, right down to holding on to the last thing he had left of him? _Just kill me now,_ Reno thought shamefacedly. _If there’s a god out there, please, just fucking nuke me where I’m standing. Don’t make me have this conversation with him._ _Anything but that._

Reno blinked open his eyes, heart thudding, to feel Cloud’s hand on his shoulder.

“Tell me.”

Reno shrugged off Cloud, panicked, and walked a few feet away, trying and failing to calm his racing thoughts. Cloud followed hesitantly a few steps behind, the card still clutched between his gloved fingers. It was old, now, and tattered beyond repair, despite the tape Reno had used to patch up one of the corners that had torn. The writing on it was faded but still visible, apart from a few of the numbers which were gone entirely. Although Reno had had it memorised for long enough that it didn’t matter that they were no longer readable. He could have recited the full number without a second glance.

Cloud’s voice wavered, just a little. “Did… did I give this to you?”

Reno stuck a hand out behind him and coughed pointedly, barely able to get the words out past the humiliation lodged in his throat.

“Just gimme it back, would ya?”

Cloud didn’t move. After a moment, Reno withdrew his hand and folded his arms over his chest. When Cloud didn’t say anything else, Reno sighed and kicked at the ground.

“We should get outta here. Elena’ll be back with Tseng any minute. Don’t wanna lead them right to your Avalanche buddies after all this.”

“ _Reno_.”

Reno’s breath hitched to hear the note of desperation in Cloud’s tone. Despite his pounding heart, Reno turned around, coming face to face with Cloud’s earnest expression and his hand clutching the little card out in front of him like a lifeline.

“I need to know. I’m trying to remember, but I–”

“Yeah.” Reno cut him off mid-sentence, holding his gaze unflinchingly. “You gave me it. Four years ago. You musta slipped it into my pocket while I was sleeping, ‘cause I found it in there after I left.”

Cloud’s eyes widened, in shock or realisation, Reno couldn’t tell – and he didn’t get the chance to ask, as at the moment they both whipped round at hearing gunshots in the jungle behind them, accompanied by the faint shouts of Elena on the breeze.

“Kimara bugs, Mr. Tseng, sir! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them!”

Reno looked back around at Cloud and grabbed his wrist, tugging him forward into a sprint.

“Go – _go_!” Reno called, hearing the gunshots get louder as Tseng and Elena carved a path through the kimara. “If they catch ya, she’ll–”

They broke out of the line of trees and skidded down a short slope, looking up to see the small collection of Avalanche members plus Rude stood at the bottom. They were waiting in the shadows of a cluster of outlying buildings, no doubt to make a quick exit into Gongaga to lose Elena’s tail. Reno pushed Cloud forwards and Cloud took a few faltering steps before turning back to face him, expression strained.

“What’re you waiting for?” Reno snapped. “You can lose ‘em in Gongaga. Rude and me, we’ll say we lost you in the trees. Now get outta here. Go!”

“I’ll see you again,” Cloud said, with such confidence that Reno wanted to believe he would too.

Cloud held out the card for him to take but Reno shook his head, instead pushing him further back with another shove to disguise his stammering heart.

“It’s yours. Keep it. Now get going already, before Elena shoots ya on sight.”

Cloud gave him one last, lingering glance, then nodded and sprinted away. He passed Rude who was jogging up the path towards Reno, and Rude fell into line beside Reno with a questioning look when he reached the top. Reno ignored him, eyes on Cloud until he – and the rest of Avalanche – had disappeared between the buildings of Gongaga.

“What happened?” Rude asked at last, gesturing to Reno’s dirt-smattered suit. “You okay?”

“I’m about to be a lot worse.” Reno shook himself and turned to face Rude. “Hit me.”

“Come again?”

“Right here.” Reno pointed to his left cheek. “I ain’t got a scratch on me. Elena’ll see right through us.”

“Ah, I get you.”

Rude’s fist cracked Reno in the face and his head whipped round at the force of the blow. Reno’s vision sparked and he brought a hand up, finding the skin broken and already leaking red down his neck.

“ _Fuck_!” he said loudly. “Did ya have to hit me so hard? Damn near broke my jaw.”

Rude looked apologetic. “Sorry. Hard to break a habit. You wanna hit me back?”

“Hell _yeah_ I do.”

By the time Elena and Tseng broke the treeline, Reno and Rude were significantly worse for wear. Elena jogged up and checked them over, her gun clutched between her hands. Tseng followed behind, slipping his gun back into its holster inside his jacket.

“Ouch!” Elena said, taking in their dishevelled appearances. “Are you guys okay?”

“Fine,” Reno said, feeling his jaw already beginning to throb. “Avalanche got away.”

Tseng nodded. “Which direction?”

“We lost ‘em in the trees. My bet is they’re skipping town.”

“Should we go after them, Mr. Tseng, sir?” Elena asked.

“Negative.” Tseng dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ll have Reeve report back with a more precise location where we can intercept them in full next.”

Reno immediately felt sick. Reeve. Reno had almost forgotten that he’d seen everything through Cait Sith’s eyes, and now Reeve had a choice to make. Reno’s only regret was that Reeve wouldn’t hear both sides of the story before he decided. He could see it now; Reeve, shocked, running upstairs to tell Rufus of his Turks’ betrayal. And Rufus, sat where his father once did with murder in his eyes.

“Head back to the bird for now,” Tseng said, cutting through Reno’s thoughts. “I’ll return to Scarlet before we leave.”

“Affirmative, Mr. Tseng, sir!” Elena said.

She started off immediately in the direction where they’d left the chopper, and Reno followed after with Tseng and Rude in tow. Reno watched out the corner of his eye as Tseng dialled Reeve’s number and held the phone to his ear. Rude shot Reno a concerned look, but said nothing.

“Director Tuesti. We lost Avalanche in the forests outside Gongaga. Any idea of their current location?” A pause. Reno’s heart skipped. “I see. Yes. Yes, of course. Let me be the first to know if you find anything.”

Tseng hung up and nodded to Reno. “Reeve reports that Cait Sith’s visual display unit was damaged in an altercation with a swarm of kimara bugs. Once it’s back up and running, he will contact me with more concrete details of Avalanche’s whereabouts.”

Relief flooded Reno’s veins and he blew out a shaky breath. This bought him time he desperately needed. Elena made a loud tutting sound ahead of them and shrugged.

“Not to worry, Mr. Tseng, sir! We’ll get them next time. No mission is impossible for the Turks!”

They made it back to the chopper and Tseng slipped into the co-pilot’s chair, leaving Reno in the back with Elena. As they lifted into the air, she leant forwards in her seat and studied him worriedly.

“Yo, quit staring,” Reno snapped eventually. “Yeesh.”

“Sorry, sir,” she said, blushing. “I was just concerned. You want me to radio ahead to HQ and ask for a medic when we get back?”

_She’s… trying to help_ , Reno thought, surprised. _Huh._

“Do whatever ya want.”

Elena nodded and dug into her pocket for her phone. “Elena speaking. Requesting a medic on arrival at Shinra Tower. E.T.A…” she glanced at Reno and then away again. “About three hours. Yes. Thank you.”

Reno crossed his arms and leant back in his seat. “You don’t have to do that, ya know. It’s just a few scrapes.”

“Not at all!” Elena smiled. “We Turks watch each other’s backs. Plus, we need you fighting fit for our next run in with the enemy, sir.”

“The enemy, huh?” Reno muttered, and then said louder: “That right?”

“Yes, sir!”

The concept of Cloud being Reno’s enemy had fallen so far from his mind it was a struggle to even imagine it now. When Reno had said goodbye to him at Midgar’s outskirts, he’d known he’d throw any future orders out the window to keep him safe. Officially, they were still Shinra and ex-Shrina. But somewhere existed in Reno’s mind a tentative, fragile place where one day, those titles might no longer apply.

Ha. Over Rufus’s dead body, maybe.

The chopper landed only for Tseng’s brief discussion with Scarlet at the Gongaga Reactor, and then they headed back to Midgar. A part of Reno was relieved to return to the towering structure of the city. Despite having to leave Cloud behind again, it also put leagues between Avalanche and Shinra. Not only that, but it meant that Reno might get to Reeve before Rufus did.

The medic patched up their injuries and then Reno headed down to the 63rd floor, pushed past Reeve’s secretary, and strode into Reeve’s office. He looked up from behind his desk, the little glass circle at his temple flashing briefly green.

“Reno. What can I do for you?”

“Cut the shit, Reeve,” Reno said, closing the door behind him. “Did you see what happened, or didn’t ya?”

Reeve sighed and sat back in his chair. “This is about Gongaga.”

“Cait’s VDU ain’t broken, is it?” Reno strode forwards and leant both hands against Reeve’s desk. “I was there. None of the kimara made it anywhere near ya.”

“No.” Reeve’s tone was cold. “Cait Sith is operating at full capacity.”

Reno’s chest tightened. “Then why’d ya lie?”

“I don’t rightly know. Would _you_ like to tell me why you aided in the escape of known fugitives from Shinra operatives under orders from the President?”

“I–”

Reno faltered, unsure of what to say next. Was it better to tell Reeve the truth? Put all his cards on the table and hoped Reeve was feeling merciful? Or should he lie, and spin a tale that might ensure he got to live another day?

“I saw how you looked at him.”

Reno looked up. Reeve had sat forwards, and his tone was carefully level. Reno leant up off of the desk and folded his arms.

“Whaddaya mean?”

Reeve watched Reno’s reaction closely. “You know him, don’t you? The ex-SOLDIER.”

“I…” Reno hesitated. _Fuck it._ “Yeah. You remember Nibelheim?”

“I do.”

“He survived. Shinra’s been gunning for him ever since.”

“Reno.” Reeve’s tone softened, only slightly. “That’s not what I meant.”

Reno nodded slowly, feeling a flush rise to his cheeks. “Right.”

“How did you meet?”

“I was on Zack’s detail. A 1st Classer four years back. Cloud was his friend, and they were out in Wall Market. Zack bailed, and…” Reno felt the heat in his face deepen. “We had a couple drinks. Talked. Danced.”

“You dance?” Reeve asked, surprised.

“Uh, no, not well. But… he liked music. So what the hell, right? And… the rest, I don’t think you wanna hear.”

Reeve chuckled. “No, probably not.”

Reno held Reeve’s gaze for a long beat before glancing away. Reeve was a good guy. At least, Reno wanted to believe that. He always tried to do the right thing, and usually by skirting what methods Shinra typically granted him permission to use to get results. So maybe he’d be kind. Maybe he’d let the whole thing slide. Or maybe he was just teasing Reno before he dragged him in front of Rufus for an execution.

Reeve at last cleared his throat pointedly and Reno looked round, dreading the verdict.

“Shinra’s orders to me were to accompany Avalanche to relay information with regards to Sephiroth’s whereabouts back to the Turks. As far as I am concerned, those are my only instructions as of this time. What happened in Gongaga… had nothing to do with Sephiroth. I was wrong in my assumptions. I see no need to retain Cait Sith’s recording of what happened, and especially not one damaged in an altercation during which the Turks were not present.”

Reno could have kissed Reeve. Instead, he shot him the biggest grin and nodded gratefully.

“Thanks, man, I really owe you one, I–”

“One question, if you would.”

“Huh?”

Reeve smiled. “Is this going to be a recurring theme? If, say, the President dispatched the Turks again to intercept Avalanche – would something similar occur?”

“I mean, I ain’t gonna say it ain’t. Ya know?”

“Just checking. It’s unfortunate Cait Sith’s been fitted with an outdated data retention chip. The President will not be pleased to hear of all the recordings we may lose due to obsolete hardware.”

“Reeve, you beautiful son of a bitch.”

“Yes, well, I realised I had a responsibility to help after I saw the way you spoke of him.”

Reno slowed. “Say again?”

“You really light up when you talk about him.” Reeve gestured to a still of Cloud on his monitor. “Strife. It must have been a hell of a date.”

Reno blushed scarlet. “It – it was four years ago. I don’t remember much,” he lied. “It wasn’t even a date, not like… not a real one.”

“Sure,” Reeve smiled. “But I saw it in his eyes, too.”

Reno’s heart dropped. “You – what?”

“You might have missed it, but I didn’t. It’s hard to fake feelings like that.”

Reno opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He was struck suddenly by the feeling of Cloud’s hands – at his waist under Sector 7, on his arms in the Junon barracks, around his back outside Gongaga. And then, of course, of how they’d so gently held his all those years ago as they’d danced under the lights of the Sector 5 slums.

All this time, Reno thought he’d been the one protecting Cloud.

The jarring blast of Reno’s ringtone shook him from his thoughts and he dug the phone out of his pocket, taken aback to find a slight tremor in his hands as he answered it.

“Yo.”

_“Elena here!”_ she chirped. _“Tseng wants us to meet outside of the President’s office immediately.”_

“Copy that,” he said, and hung up.

Reeve looked at him, amused. “You’d better not keep Tseng waiting.”

“It wasn’t Tseng,” Reno said, already heading for the door. “But thanks, Reeve. I owe you a drink.”

“I few, I would wager,” Reeve chuckled as the door closed behind Reno.

Reno headed upstairs to Rufus’s office. Tseng, Elena, and Rude were waiting outside, and at seeing him arrive, Tseng turned and pushed inside.

Rufus sat behind his desk, rolling his silver coin between his fingers. He paused only to look up as the Turks entered and then returned his attention to the coin again. Tseng gestured for the three of them to hang back and he approached the desk alone, bowing curtly.

“Mister President, sir. You requested us?”

“Indeed.”

Rufus caught the coin between his thumb and forefinger and clinked it gently against the marble of the desk. Reno stiffened at seeing the rage lurking in Rufus’s eyes, suddenly reminded of his earlier fears.

“Would you care to explain to me how I have neither Avalanche, nor Sephiroth, as a result of your efforts today?”

_There it is_ , Reno thought.

“Sir,” Tseng started, but Rufus held up a warning hand.

“No. I want to hear it from them.”

Ice shot through Reno’s veins, and he glanced at Rude and Elena, who looked equally uncomfortable, before clearing his throat and stepping forwards.

“Well, boss,” he said awkwardly. “Ya see–”

“It was my fault, sir!”

Silence fell over the room as all eyes found Elena. Reno turned to look at her, stunned, and she started forwards, wringing her hands, cheeks flushed.

“I left to inform Mr. Tseng of Avalanche’s arrival, and it put Reno and Rude at a serious disadvantage in the fight. So… it was my fault, sir! I take the blame entirely.”

Reno’s annoyance at Elena’s disregard of their abilities was outweighed only by his utter disbelief at her confession. She seemed so _sincere_. Did she really think she was solely responsible for Avalanche getting away? Weirdly, it made Reno feel sort of guilty. Maybe he should have given her more credit. Although up until now, he’d barely given her the time of day, let alone any ounce of his waning trust.

Rufus narrowed his eyes, boring a metaphysical hole right through Elena’s head. She withered under his steely gaze.

“I expect better of you, Elena.”

Elena trembled as though she’d been struck. “As do I, Mister President, sir. I promise I will do better. I assure you that you won’t regret your decision in promoting me.”

“See that I do not. As for the rest of you…” Rufus eyed the group collectively and sighed. “Take some time to recuperate away from Midgar. That’s an order. I understand we have been pushing you hard in the hunt for Sephiroth, so see this as an opportunity to unwind before we begin the chase anew. I want to see you in optimum shape when you return. No exceptions.”

“Yes, sir!” Elena said, and Reno and Rude nodded.

Rufus returned to manipulating the coin in his grasp. “As for you, Tseng, I have matters here which will still require your attention.”

“Of course, Mister President.” Tseng turned to address his subordinates. “Elect in the next couple of days where your destination will be. As soon as you’re ready, I’ll have a bird prepared to take you there directly.”

Reno caught the slightest of nods from Tseng in his direction, almost imperceptible if he hadn’t been looking his way. Reno nodded slowly in return, and Rufus sighed with an air of conclusiveness.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll send a small accompaniment of Troopers with you, just in case you encounter trouble. I’m sure Tseng can handle the rest.”

“Indeed, Mister President.”

“Good. Then you are dismissed.”

Elena strode out, Reno and Rude following close behind. She threw the doors back with no small amount of force and walked off quickly down the corridor towards the stairs. Reno looked at her curiously but Rude simply shook his head.

“Let her go.”

“Alright.” Reno set off instead for the elevator. “Any ideas on where we should be spending our involuntary vacation?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“Hold up,” Reno said slowly, the realisation dawning on him. “You don’t think Rufus’ll send someone else after Avalanche while we’re gone, do ya?”

“I think you need to get some sleep.” Rude looked at him pointedly over his shades. “Whatever Shinra throws at them, it ain’t gonna be worse than us.”

Reno shrugged. “I guess. Yeah. Man, let’s just pick somewhere that’ll piss off Rufus. I’m sick to death of that entitled prick. I don’t care where we go, as long as _he’s_ mad that it’s where we’re going.”

“What about Wutai?”

“ _Wutai_!” Reno grinned and punched Rude’s arm affectionately. “ _Now_ you’re talking!”


	11. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “This is what you get when you fall in love,  
> no-one ever said how good it hurts,  
> I tried once but it's once too much,  
> You end up getting burned.”  
> – Play With Fire, Nico Santos.

“I hear Wutai is nice this time of year.”

Reno looked at Tseng across his desk the next morning from where he sat at his own, sipping the coffee Rude had bought him.

“That it?” Reno asked. “You ain’t gonna try and tell us to go somewhere else?”

“Should I?” Tseng said, quietly amused. “I’ll have the necessary preparations made for your trip. The President has granted three days paid leave, so ensure you utilise it well. You leave tomorrow.”

Reno held Tseng’s gaze for another beat before he nodded and glanced away. The idea of a holiday in the middle of all of this seemed absurd, but Reno was past caring. If Rufus thought that the Turks needed a vacation, then Reno wasn’t about to argue. No doubt it was because Rufus was worried about their work ethic. Then let him worry, Reno thought spitefully. He was ready to forget about everything for a while over a few drinks and good chat with Rude.

And Elena, he reminded himself. Because she was coming too, as strange as that was. She’d only been brought on a few weeks ago and now she was getting sent off on holiday with them as punishment for something she fully seemed to believe was her fault.

Tseng glanced up at him. “You’re still here.”

“Uh, yeah.” Reno leant forwards in his chair. “No orders? Ya just gonna let us go pack?”

“Indeed. Don’t forget to look out for Elena while she’s with you. She might be a Turk, but she’s still got a lot to learn.”

“No shit.”

Reno got to his feet, finished his coffee, and chucked it into the bin. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Take care of yourself, Reno.” Tseng’s tone softened, but he didn’t look up.

Reno nodded, and lingered just a moment longer before he turned and left.

Morning broke cool and grey over Midgar as their airship lifted off from Shinra Tower. It was a much smaller vessel than the one Rufus had taken to Junon, but more comfortable for long-distance travel than taking a chopper. Wutai was a good five or so hours flight from Midgar, and Reno was ready to spend it doing little else but drinking.

They sat in the passenger cabin, a small, wood-and-glass room fitted with low slung couches which were unfortunately not as plush as they looked. Elena stood behind the cabin’s bar, making up a cocktail per Reno’s request. It was strange to see her out of uniform. She wore high-waisted blue jeans and a brilliant red bell-sleeved top, her gun belt slung low around one thigh. Every time she moved, her pale hair shifted about her face, and Reno caught the glint of red-jewelled earrings at her ears.

Rude nodded to Reno across the table, dressed in what Rude considered to be ‘casual’ – a black dress shirt and fitted black jeans, his gloves poking out of a front pocket. Even when the Turks were off duty, it was difficult to put work aside. Their weapons always subtly worked their way into their outfits somehow, automatic despite being on leave. Reno’s own nightstick was slotted into the back of his white jeans, a slight pressure against his lower back as he leant against the couch.

“Your drink is ready, sir!” Elena smiled, coming out with a cocktail glass grasped between her slender fingers. “I hope I made it right.”

Reno took the glass off of her and watched with an eyebrow raised as she plonked herself down on the couch beside him, a beer in her other hand.

“I told ya not to call me that. We’re off duty.”

“Sorry, sir!” Elena immediately realised her mistake and blushed furiously. “Ah… sorry, Reno. Hard habit to break.”

Reno waved her away and sipped the cocktail. _Huh_ , he thought, pleasantly surprised. _Not bad._

“So, Elena,” Rude said slowly, and she turned to look at him. “What’s going on with you and Emma?”

Elena’s face fell. “Oh… you noticed that. Sorry, I…” she sighed and sipped her beer. “It’s hard not to get compared to her all the time. We look so similar, but she’s older, and she got promoted first. To begin with, I wanted to be just like her. And then I decided I didn’t want that at all – I wanted to be _better_.”

Ouch. Reno glanced away. Now where had he heard that before?

“Yeah, Emma’s a good Turk,” Rude answered measuredly. “But she’s a real kill joy.”

“No kidding,” Reno chipped in, elbowing Elena playfully in an attempt to cheer her up. “Yeah, we’d rather have you with us on vacation than your big sister. She mighta got the job first, but she ain’t half as fun to work with as you are.”

Elena seemed to perk up a little, then. “Really?”

Reno nodded and sipped his drink. “Sure. Bein’ a Turk ain’t just about who’s the best fighter. I wanna work with someone I can have a laugh with, ya know?”

Elena beamed. “And how long have you and Rude worked together?”

“Eight years.”

“Eight _years_?!” Elena glanced between them. “Wow! You must know each other inside and out!”

Rude blushed and cleared his throat to disguise it. “Well, we’ve been through a lot together, if that’s what you mean.”

“And I heard you were recruited from Wall Market, Reno!” Elena said, glancing over. “Did you used to work there?”

Something heavy settled in Reno’s stomach and he nodded slowly. “Yeah, I…”

“Maybe we shouldn’t–”

“It’s fine, Rude,” Reno sighed. “I used to work for Don Corneo.”

Elena visibly recoiled. “That creep who snatches women off the street and forces them to sleep with him?”

“That’s the one.”

“You… you did _that_ for him?”

“More or less.” Reno swallowed thickly. “I was usually on the clean-up crew. Corneo’s men liked to get rough, and I got handed whatever was left at the end of the night to pretty back up or sweep under the rug. Usually both.”

Elena couldn’t keep the horror from her voice. “ _Why_?”

Rude glanced at Reno over his shades, concerned. It’d been years since Reno’d given Corneo a second of his time, and he didn’t much want to start now. But better than Elena heard it from Reno, and not someone else.

“Because I was good at my job.” Reno forced his tone to come out level. “And I had to feed myself somehow. And I couldn’t get work anywhere else.”

“B-But,” Elena stuttered, shocked, “Surely there was work _somewhere_ that you wouldn’t have to–”

“Elena,” Rude said sharply. “That’s enough.”

“No, no,” Reno waved Rude away. “I don’t want ya lumping me in with sleezebags like Corneo. One night a man came by our apartment in Sector 6 dressed like a reject cowboy. Turns out it was Sam – Chocobo Sam, and he was looking for my ma.”

Elena blinked. “Your… mom? Why?”

“Why else? For Corneo. She was a singer at _Drunkards_ for a while, and I guess that’s where they’d seen her. I was, what? Eleven? Hell, I couldn’t stop ‘em. I chased after Sam, obviously, offered me a rigged coin toss to change his mind. After a day and she didn’t come home, I went to Corneo myself. What a dumbass idea that was. Told his thugs I was hungry and that my ma hadn’t come back yet. Corneo offered me work and the chance to see her again.”

Reno stopped, feeling his throat close up a little. He barely remembered his mother’s face; it had been so long. But she’d been beautiful. Tall, a shock of red hair, just like him. The thing he remembered clearly was her perfume, this subtle scent of fruit that clung to her wherever she’d went – and been. He’d curled up in her bed for days, wrapping that perfume around him, until the bottle ran out and the smell was gone.

Elena’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “You… You never saw her again?”

“Nope.” Reno tried to look nonchalant, shrugging as he put his empty glass down on the table. His voice nonetheless sounded strained. “I put it behind me years ago. Wherever she is, it ain’t here. My guess is she’s dead. Anything else… I don’t wanna think about.”

A silence fell over the room. Rude looked away, sighing deeply. Elena squirmed awkwardly next to Reno, obviously uncomfortable with the line of conversation she’d been insistent on pursuing. But the anger the subject might once have roused in Reno was long gone. People had forgotten and moved on. When Veld had picked him up – this scrawny, foul-mouthed seventeen-year-old with nothing but his wits and a nasty temper – he’d been focused solely revenge. A long time ago, Reno had thought the Turks would have given him the training he’d needed to topple Corneo and find his mother.

He’d learned very quickly just how naïve he’d been. Corneo was under Shinra’s thumb just as much as Reno was, and Shinra weren’t about to oust him any time soon, not when he was an invaluable – and negotiable – contact to the shadier side of Midgar. It meant they had eyes everywhere, without sending in a single uniformed operative to give the game away. Reno had given up trying to convince them otherwise. Of course, he’d paid Corneo a visit personally once he’d finished his training, but it was no use. Corneo wouldn’t tell him where his mother was and there was nothing Reno could do under Shinra to force him to. He’d tried, alright, but all it had rewarded him with was a disciplinary and a warning not to go near Corneo’s mansion unaccompanied again.

“I’m sorry,” Elena said quietly, after a long beat. “Rude was right, I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s fine,” Reno said, sighing. “You’d’ve just read my file back at HQ if I hadn’t told ya.”

Elena stood slowly and walked over to the bar, putting her empty bottle down on it and sighing. They both watched her as she turned round, tucking her hair behind one ear.

“You see these earrings?”

Reno bobbed his head. “What about ‘em?”

“Emma gave them to me. I rarely wear them, but she told me they’d bring me luck. I know this sounds a little silly, but… maybe they did. I wanted so badly for this trip to go well. I was… really worried after Gongaga that you guys didn’t like me.”

Something snagged in Reno’s chest. He’d kept her at arm’s length, fearing the worst. But maybe he’d been wrong. Because right now, Elena didn’t seem like she was putting on any sort of act. If she was Rufus’s spy, then she was doing a damn fine job of it.

Elena looked up at them after a beat and smiled.

“But good to know you think I’m fun! Hopefully you’ll come to rely on me as a fellow Turk, too.” She grabbed her bottle off of the bar and put it in the trash before she came and sat back down. “Have you ever been to Wutai before?”

Reno nodded, grateful for the change of topic. “Once or twice. Mostly during the war. It used to be a real nice place before Shinra stamped it into the ground.”

“It’s just such a shame,” Elena sighed. “If Wutai only let Shinra put the reactor on their land, the war might not have happened at all.”

Reno exchanged a discreet glance with Rude. He’d joked about Elena being fresh out of the academy, but it really hit home when he saw her expression as she spoke. She still believed in Shinra and what they could do. Reno couldn’t blame her for it, really. It wasn’t until the war had ended that he realised he’d been working on the wrong side of it. Elena would come round eventually. You couldn’t work in Shinra for very long before you saw their darker side. It was just a matter of time.

“Speaking of – Tseng’s booked us rooms at the local inn,” Rude said, getting to his feet. “Shouldn’t be too long now before we arrive.”

Elena jumped up and nodded. “I’ll get everything tidied away!”

Reno took a little while longer to get ready. The conversation with Elena had left him feeling a little guilty for the way he’d treated her, especially having zero proof of any sort of alliance with Rufus. Maybe this vacation was a good opportunity to turn things around.

They landed in Wutai as evening fell, accompanied by a unit of five Troopers. Wutai was warm, but not warm enough for Reno to go with just his sheer black shirt. He shrugged on a black suit jacket over the top and some shades as they departed for their accommodation, Elena skipping excitedly out front.

Wutai Village was set aflame by the setting sun, the brilliant red roofs turned scarlet. It was peaceful here, surrounded by the rolling green hills, every step accompanied by the gurgle of the clear river running through the centre of town. Reno glanced around, taking it in. The last time he’d set foot in Wutai they’d been at war. People were frightened, angry. Buildings were boarded up to keep the soldiers out. And Shinra was the name of the enemy.

That last part, at least, still rang true.

They made their way to the inn, the Troopers behind them struggling to carry everyone’s belongings. Elena checked them in and they ditched their bags.

“Want to get a drink?” Elena asked. “I checked ahead, and there’s a bar in town called Turtle’s Paradise.”

Reno nodded. “Sure.”

Turtle’s Paradise was, in fact, was the _only_ bar in Wutai Village. Their Troopers waited outside as the three Turks filed inside. Reno wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this wasn’t it. The bar was quiet, a few tables scattered here and there, and the whole building was decorated with little bonsai trees. A water feature in the back corner emulated the babble of the river that flowed past outside. As they stepped through the doors, the few patrons seated inside looked up and stared at them, whispering amongst themselves.

“Real warm welcome, huh,” Reno muttered under his breath, and followed the others towards the bar.

“Rare we get Shinra here,” the bartender said as they slid onto the barstools. “Forgive the stares. What can I get you?”

Rude opted for a whiskey and both Elena and Reno went for beer. Turtle’s Paradise was near silent asides from the noise of the water feature and the soft murmur of conversation from the patrons behind them. Exchanging a pointed glance amongst their small group, they slid out of the barstools and bagged a table as far from the other customers as possible.

“Beginning to regret picking Wutai,” Reno muttered into his beer. “Man, this place is depressing.”

“Look on the bright side!” Elena chirped. “There’s booze, good company, and you’re getting _paid_ to be here!”

Rude chuckled. “She ain’t wrong. Let’s just try and relax, yeah? We’ve had a rough few weeks. It’ll be good to unwind.”

“That’s the spirit!” Elena clinked glasses with Rude and smiled. “This is going to be great. I can feel it!”

Night swept in with a pitch-black sky, peppered with a thousand stars. Reno had never seen so many in all his life. When they eventually stumbled out of Turtle’s Paradise, it was almost midnight, and Reno could barely tear his drunken gaze from the sky above him. He was so used to the smog of Midgar he’d almost forgotten how beautiful the stars could be. His stars, for as long as he could remember, were the lights of the plate above him, winking in the dark. And once he’d got his own apartment, the stars fell, glowing yellow where they lay below.

“This was the best. Idea. _Ever_!”

Reno dragged his eyes away from the stars long enough to take in Elena, staggering along the path ahead, her arms linked in two of their Trooper accompaniment’s. She swayed gently from side to side, giggling, pointing out things she found interesting on the road to the inn. The two Troopers nodded diligently in response and kept a tighter grasp on her.

Rude chuckled and shook his head. “She’s something, alright.”

Reno rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get her into a bed before she collapses.”

They made it back to the inn and Reno dismissed the Troopers for the evening, despite their protests. Reno slipped an arm about Elena’s waist and led her to her room, calling goodnight to Rude on the way.

Elena blushed as they slid back the door. “Oh, you’re very sweet, Reno, but you see, I kind of… like someone else.”

Reno let go of Elena unceremoniously in the middle of her room and she staggered forwards to steady herself.

“Oh, yeesh, Elena. I _know_ that. Besides, I’m not into women. You can relax.”

Elena’s eyes went comically wide. “You _know_?!” she whispered. “ _How_?!”

Reno glanced back over his shoulder and slid her door shut, just in case any of the Troopers could overhear. Elena watched him, hair a tad dishevelled, a button missed on the front of her shirt.

“Rude told me ya got a thing for Tseng,” Reno said quietly, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. “And honestly? It ain’t hard to spot once you know. You get nervous whenever he looks your way. You’re desperate to impress him. And you blush when he says anything even _mildly_ flattering to ya.”

Elena wrapped her arms around her stomach, suddenly small and vulnerable.

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s… yeah.”

“Do you think that he knows?”

Reno faltered. If she’d asked him out for drinks, Tseng might have an inkling. But then again, Tseng didn’t pick up cues well when it came to flirting. In fact, Reno was convinced that Rufus had made the first move, bored of waiting for Tseng to do it. Instead of answering, Reno deflected. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, not when it was late, and she was drunk, and he was already feeling a little guilty.

“Do ya _want_ him to know?”

Elena looked mortified. “Oh _god_ , no!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I just–” she faltered a moment, and then sighed. “I’ve known Tseng a long time. He’d come by the academy a lot in my early years. He was so different from the other Turks – no offence.”

“None taken.”

“I’d never met anyone like him. And now that we’re working together… I thought this was my chance.”

Elena fell silent and shrugged, settling down cross legged on the mat on the floor. She started pulling off her gun holster, and then her earrings, and sat them to the side of her bed, each item gently placed down and neatly aligned.

“He listened when I got upset. He helped me when I was stuck with training. And he looked at me like my own person, not just as Emma’s little sister.”

Reno felt his chest tighten. He knew what it was like to be looked at like you meant something, even just for a moment. Cerulean eyes flashed across his mind. God, what he wouldn’t give to be looked at like that again.

It turned out he and Elena had something in common, after all.

“But maybe I’m being foolish,” Elena continued quietly. “He’s my superior officer, after all. I just… haven’t you ever been in love?”

The question hit Reno like a punch to the gut. He coughed to disguise his immediate unease and looked away, finding a point on the wall above her head to look at instead. The honesty in her eyes was overwhelming.

“I guess, yeah. A few times.”

She stared at him. “Where are they now?”

“Well… not here. They just… never worked out, ya know?”

This was not something Reno ever liked to discuss. He was a quick fuck and good luck kind of guy. He’d actually only ever been in love once, and it was how he’d learned not to let people in. It hurt too much to lose them. After that, he vowed that only Rude would be allowed to get close. The only person who’d never once let him down, who’d always had his back, who’d taken care of him even after he’d seen Reno’s nastiest parts.

But things were a little different now.

“Why do I feel like you’re not telling me the truth?” Elena asked in a whisper.

Reno sighed. “Okay, kiddo, how’s this – you tell me what’s going on with Rufus, and I’ll tell ya about my love life. Deal?”

Elena cocked her head. “Rufus?”

“Yeah.”

Reno leant off of the wall and came to sit in front of Elena, crossing his legs as he sat to mimic hers. She shuffled over on the mat to make room for him, still a little drunk and unsteady, but her attention unequivocally his.

“Look, I’m kinda drunk, so I’m just gonna come out and ask,” Reno said, poking Elena’s knee with his finger. “Did Rufus bring ya in to spy on Rude and me?”

Elena stared at Reno for a long beat, her expression caught somewhere between surprise and dread. Reno waited patiently, folding his arms defensively over his chest.

“I…” Elena blushed and glanced away. “Not entirely.”

“Oh?” Reno leant forwards. “So he _did_ get ya to spy on us!”

“No – no!” she said quickly, waving her hands. “It wasn’t like that. The President just asked that I keep an ear out for anything unusual, anything at all! He didn’t specifically ask me to _spy_ on you!”

“So what changed, huh?”

She blinked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re a good little Turk, ain’t ya? So why’re you ratting out Rufus to me?”

“I…” Elena squirmed. “I like you. Both of you. You seem really nice, and… I didn’t really have many friends in the academy. I was too busy trying to outperform Emma that making friends… kind of slipped my mind. And I guess I’d rather you hear it from me, now, than later down the line, from Rufus.”

Reno stared at her for a long beat, judging her response, and, deeming it sincere, nodded. “Well, ya got friends now, alright? Just don’t go yapping to Rufus the second I say some shit about Shinra. Because I do that. A lot.”

“I won’t!” Elena’s face lit up. “I promise. Do… do you mind me asking why the President wanted me to do that, though? I mean, you two seem completely fine to me.”

“Right. Well, you said about feelings and shit earlier, and…” Reno sighed. “I can trust ya, right?”

Elena nodded earnestly; her dark eyes wide. “Yes, of course! I promised, didn’t I?”

Drunk Reno weighed up this decision. He really, _really_ wanted to trust Elena. He was tired of keeping secrets, of keeping people at arm’s length. But he couldn’t be sure she’d ever put aside duty for a promise she made, drunk, to a man she barely knew. So, he followed his gut, that sixth sense that had always kept him safe.

“I… fell for someone,” he said carefully. “Someone who Shinra wasn’t so keen on. And that’s why Rufus got his tits in a twist about me, because he thought I might do something to fuck with the company.”

“But you didn’t, of course,” Elena said, with such belief that Reno flinched. “After all, that would get you dismissed.”

“…Right.”

Elena stretched and yawned. “You know, Reno, I’m really glad I met you. Once we get rid of Avalanche and track down Sephiroth, things will get better, you’ll see. Have a little faith.”

Disappointment settled into Reno’s stomach. “Sure.”

He got to his feet as Elena clambered into bed and slid the door shut as quietly as he could. In another second, her bedroom light had gone out, and Reno made his way back to the room he shared with Rude. Rude was sound asleep as he arrived, so he sat up for a while, wide awake after his conversation with Elena, and messed around on his phone. He typed in Cloud’s old cell number, stared at it for several minutes, and then deleted it again.

This was pointless. Elena was never going to come around so quickly, and Reno didn’t have the energy to explain himself in full. After all, _he_ didn’t even know how he felt. He’d told Rude that he cared about Cloud, and that about as far as he was willing to go.

Reno fell asleep after a long while; his phone clutched in his hand, Cloud’s number on the screen fading into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as you can tell, i'm playing a little fast and loose with the timings of the game, but just because there's not much data in regards to that, plus i'm trying to make it as plausible as possible. also of course i'm finally divulging some backstory for reno, since square enix seem to have forgotten about doing that too. just a few chapters from the end now so another huge shout out to y'all for leaving such lovely reviews and really keeping me inspired to keep writing! no cloud this chapter, but i promise the next ones should more than make up for it ~


	12. Redemption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You wonder how I got this way;   
> You think I'm someone to be saved,  
> Someone to clean up and tame,   
> Oh, some things never change.”   
> – Redemption, Besomorph, Coopex & RIELL.

Reno awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming in through their room’s shoji screen walls. Rude was gone, his bed unmade. Reno sat up and stretched, thankfully not hungover, but already feeling ravenous. His prayers were answered as the door slid back and in strode Rude, dressed in all black again, carrying a tray bearing breakfast. The heat that wafted in past him told Reno that the weather today was already scorching.

Reno grinned and made a motion to grab for the tray. “You brilliant bastard, you read my mind.”

Rude chuckled and passed Reno his breakfast. They tucked in, enjoying the food and the quiet of the inn. When they were finished, Reno leant back on his arms and sighed contentedly.

“Ya know, Rude, I could get used to this. We old enough to retire yet?”

“You are, maybe,” Rude joked, and earned a smack on the arm from Reno for it. “But yeah. This is good. If it wasn’t for the Shinra lapdogs next door, I’d say it’s damn near perfect.”

“’Lapdogs’, huh?” Reno echoed, thinking back to when Cloud had called him that in Sector 7. “What’s that make us?”

They were interrupted by the sharp ring of Reno’s cell. He grumbled and snatched it up, surprised to see Reeve’s name on the caller ID.

“Yo, Reeve. What’s up?”

_“Reno.”_ Reeve sounded tense. _“I thought I’d call ahead after I heard from Tseng that you had taken time off in Wutai.”_

Reno sat up, earning a concerned glanced from Rude. “What’s going on?”

_“Well… Avalanche got passage on an airship courtesy of Cid Highwind. I don’t know if they’re headed to Wutai Village specifically, but they landed nearby, just short of an hour ago.”_

Cloud was here. In Wutai. Reno nodded slowly, taking it in. How in the world did they keep managing to run into each other? Oh, what did it _matter_. It was highly unlikely they were headed for Wutai Village anyway, considering the Turks had been here a day already and there were no signs of Sephiroth. But then again, they had been travelling with that Wutaian girl, Yuffie. Maybe she was visiting someone back home?

“That so?” Reno replied after a beat. “Does Rufus know yet?”

_“No, but I have a report due this afternoon to give to him, and I can’t skirt the truth forever. Just… be careful, won’t you?”_

Reno sighed. “No promises. Can ya shoot me a text if they’re headed this way?”

_“I’ll do my best.”_

Reno hung up and looked at Rude. “You won’t believe this.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rude sighed. “I think I probably would.”

XXX

The easiest way Reno could think of to distract Elena was to get her drunk again. Unfortunately, it turned out she wasn’t much of a day drinker. They dismissed their Troopers for the afternoon, telling them to take in the sights, and slunk back into Turtle’s Paradise to snag a table near the door. Elena, in particular, looked a little rough. She’d tucked her hair behind her ears to disguise its disarray and wore shades even indoors. In fact, her and Rude made quite the pair. And, as if to add insult to injury, she was dressed in her wrinkled clothes from last night. 

Despite Reno offering to pay, Elena quietly sipped a lemonade as she picked at her plate of food, looking queasy. He rolled his eyes and shot an aggravated look at Rude, who merely shrugged.

“I have to apologise,” Elena said suddenly. “I was… extremely intoxicated last night and acted unprofessionally.”

Reno sighed and took a swig of beer, topping up the tipsiness he’d awoken with this morning. “How many times am I gonna have to tell ya that we’re off duty? Do whatever you want. We don’t give a shit.”

“I just–”

“Elena.” Rude’s tone was gentle. “Don’t worry about it, alright?”

She squirmed. “If you say so.”

Reno glanced over as his phone buzzed with a text. It was Reeve. He picked it up quickly, just in case Elena saw, and read through it: _Reno. Ran into some trouble on the village outskirts. Sorry this is late. On our way._

“Fuck,” Reno muttered under his breath.

He put down the phone and glanced discreetly around, pulse quickening. So Reeve had been right to warn him. If he’d sent the message late, then Cloud was likely already here. Reno wondered briefly if this was how most of their meetings would go now: him, desperately trying to hide Avalanche from Shinra at every turn and Cloud grilling him about their shared past. Great. Just when he thought he’d actually be able to relax and enjoy some time away. Even this far from Midgar, it seemed he couldn’t escape his past.

“Everything okay?” Elena asked. “Was that Tseng?”

“Uh, no,” Reno said, shooting a pointed look at Rude, who nodded. “Just… nevermind. Forget about it.”

With a bang loud enough to prompt a shout from one of the bar’s patrons, the doors swung open and in marched a large group of folks, headed by a blond man dressed in SOLDIER uniform. Reno’s head snapped up and his expression softened, heart fluttering. No matter how many times he saw Cloud, each one sent pangs of longing through his chest.

“She’s here somewhere,” Cloud called behind him. “Let’s split up and–”

“Y-You!”

Elena leapt out of her seat and fumbled to draw her gun. “How did _you_ get here?”

“Shit,” Cloud muttered, hand going to the Buster Sword.

Behind him, his usual friends readied their weapons immediately in Cloud’s defence – all but Cait Sith, who simply waved cheerily at Reno and Rude. However, there were two new additions to Cloud’s party that Reno noted; a man who looked like he was in desperate need of a shave, clothes thrown together, cigarette hanging off of one lip, and the other who looked like he’d freshly crawled out of a mausoleum, swathed in rolls of tattered red fabric.

“Ah - _nevermind_!” Elena called sharply, much to the fright of the patrons. “I guess it’s fate that brought us together. Get ready for some payback!”

Reno and Rude didn’t move. Cloud had noticed them at last, looking back and forth between Elena and Reno, confused as to just what was going on. The bartender had frozen where he stood, drink half-way handed to a woman sat at the bar, everyone watching the unfolding scene with rapt silence to see if they would need to run and hide.

“Elena, you talk too much.”

Elena glanced over at Reno, who was staring at her with as much animosity as he could muster.

“W-What?”

Reno leant back in his seat, doing his best to appear disappointed. “Want to remind me what we’re doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?”

Elena stared at him as though he’d grown a second head. “We’re… taking our vacation and resting up from our work.”

“Bingo! We got a winner. And _now_ , our vacation is ruined.”

“B-but…” Elena lowered her gun, glancing between Cloud and Reno. “They’re _Avalanche_!”

“And _you’re_ scaring the locals.” Reno waved idly to the wide-eyed patrons. “This is meant to be our _break_. Put that shit away, alright?”

“Even the booze tastes bad now,” Rude chipped in performatively, taking a solemn drink.

Elena glanced between them, incredulous, a humiliated flush rising to her cheeks. “I…” she turned to the patrons and nodded. “I’m so sorry!”

“As for you lot,” Reno winked at Cloud as Elena’s back was turned, “You’d best get outta town before Elena here changes her mind.”

Cloud held his gaze for a long beat, lowering his hand from the Buster Sword, and then nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Reno watched Cloud go until the doors had swung shut behind him. Once they’d gone, a tangible relief washed over the bar as the patrons resumed their meals, content that there was no fight to be had. The bartender blew out a shaky breath and nodded his thanks to Reno. Reno offered him a two-fingered salute and returned to his drink.

Elena sunk back down into her chair, sliding her gun back into its holster. “I know we’re on vacation, but…”

“Let it go, Elena,” Reno snapped, patience exhausted. “Orders are only orders when we’re on the clock.”

With just as much ferocity as Cloud had opened it only a few minutes ago, the doors to Turtle’s Paradise reopened and two Troopers burst in, sending another ripple of shock through the patrons. Reno glared at them out the corner of his eyes as they ran to stand next to their table.

“Sir!” The first barked. “Our report from the President was right! Avalanche _is_ here!”

The second stood to attention. “We finally found them, sir! We lost two operatives on the outskirts of town, but with the Turks as backup, we could apprehend the fugitives and return them to Shinra!”

Elena glanced between the Troopers and Reno, the bar utterly silent. Reno sighed and took a long drink of his beer. This was getting ridiculous. What happened to being on vacation? And why in the hell couldn’t they just leave Cloud _alone_? It was Sephiroth they were really after.

Reno dug into his pocket and lit a cigarette. “What a drag.”

The two Troopers exchanged a shocked glance.

“E-Excuse me, sir?!” the second stuttered.

Reno took a slow inhale and blew out a cloud of smoke in their direction. “Let’s get one thing clear, yeah? We’re. Off. _Duty_. We ain’t about to run off somewhere to save your asses if ya get into trouble.”

The first Trooper cleared his throat awkwardly. “We know you’re off duty, but...”

“If ya knew that, then don’t bother us!” Reno snapped. “Just _looking_ at you is makin’ me sober.”

The Trooper was getting desperate. “But you _all_ have orders from headquarters to look for him too – _sir!”_

Another uncomfortable silence fell over the bar. The patrons had begun to whisper amongst themselves after realising the situation wasn’t headed toward violence, and even the bartender had begun to fidget, obviously irritated with the armed officers barging in unannounced. Even Elena was staring at Reno, mouth agape, in utter disbelief of his refusal to cooperate.

Well, she could stare all she damn liked. Reno propped his feet up on the corner of the table and made a vaguely dismissive gesture with his hand towards the Troopers. He was sick of this. If they wanted to try and take on Cloud and all his absurdly battle-capable friends, then so be it. All it would earn them was an ass kicking, which, with the way they were talking to him right now, Reno more than thought they deserved.

The first Trooper had turned so red, another minute and Reno thought he might explode.

“Alright, that’s it!” he blurted, grabbing his companion and turning to leave. “We’ll get them without any help from the Turks, just you see!”

The other called back over his shoulder as they strode out of the bar. “And don’t think that headquarters isn’t going to hear about this!”

The door clanged shut behind them and Elena whipped around to Reno, glancing urgently between him and the exit.

“Reno, do you think that was really such a good idea?! I mean, is that the way a professional – a _Turk_ , would act?”

“Elena.” Reno swung his head round to look her in the eye. “Don’t get the wrong idea. A pro ain’t someone who sacrifices himself for the job. That’s just a fool. We’re on vacation, remember? So don’t do anything stupid.”

Elena, deeming Reno a lost cause, turned pleading eyes to Rude instead. “…Rude?”

Rude stared pointedly down at his drink, avoiding all eye contact whatsoever. Elena threw up her hands with a cry of frustration and got to her feet, grabbing her things as she went.

“Well, I don’t buy that! Vacation or not, _I’m_ going after them!”

Reno put a hand on Rude’s arm as he made to stand to stop her leaving the bar. Instead, they watched Elena storm out, and settled into the blissful quiet that was left behind.

“Relax,” Reno soothed. “She’s not a kid anymore. Let her make her own mistakes.”

Rude’s tone was serious. “You ain’t worried about what Rufus’ll say?”

“Fuck Rufus. _He_ told us – nah actually, scratch that, he _ordered_ us to take a break. If he wants to pull me up about protocol, he can be my fucking guest. Now, at least, I can have some peace and quiet to–”

Reno couldn’t believe it. Not even a minute after the Troopers were gone and the door banged back open as someone else darted inside, breathing laboured, face covered mostly by the black cap on their head. Without even properly taking them in, Reno whipped around and snarled at them.

“You gotta be fucking _kidding_ me!”

They raised their head sharply, still breathing heavily. “ _Reno_?! What the hell are you doing here?”

Reno blinked, shocked. “…Leslie? Whaddaya mean, what the hell am I – what the hell are _you_ doing here?!”

Leslie rushed over to sit down at their table, muttering apologies to the other customers as he went. Reno couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Leslie in the flesh; he looked older, leaner, with a sharpness in his eyes that had barely been a glint before. He was peppered with cuts, too, and fresh bloodstains on his jacket attested to some nastier ones hidden by his clothes.

“Man, am I glad to see you guys. I tried to call – I sent a text, too.”

Something clicked in Reno’s head, a drunken, fuzzy memory that had almost vanished from his mind. The glow of his phone screen in the dark, the black marble counter top illuminated gold by a thousand Midgar windows, and the name of the man he’d once tried to kill.

“Shit, I…” Reno slid Leslie his drink, who took a grateful gulp. “Corneo - you found him?”

Rude glanced up. “He’s _here_?”

Leslie nodded and slid the drink back. “Yup. And he’s got two girls with him. I tried to stop him, but he’s got a new pet. Last I saw he was carrying them both up Da-chao Mountain.”

“Whoa, Les, slow down,” Reno said. “Who’d he take?”

“I don’t know. A dark-haired girl and a blonde with a red shirt.”

Reno felt his stomach drop and he exchanged a disturbed glance with Rude. “ _Shit_.”

“What?” Leslie looked up. “You know her? The blonde?”

“Sure do,” Reno growled, getting to his feet. “Come on. You’re gonna show us where he went.”

Leslie nodded and leapt up, jogging out ahead of Reno and Rude. The heat of the sun out here was nigh unbearable and Reno slipped on his shades, scanning their surroundings for anything that might help in locating Elena. He felt suddenly guilty, that they’d argued, that he’d stopped Rude from going after her when she’d stormed out. Maybe if he hadn’t, she would be standing here right now, and not in the clutches of the same man that had taken his mother.

Reno swallowed thickly, forcing that thought out of his mind, and took off in a run after Leslie through town.

They made it to the northern quarter of the village before they had to slow down. The sweat was rolling down between Reno’s shoulder blades, the sun scorching the earth around Wutai and sending mirages rippling off into the distance. Even with the loose white cotton shirt and jeans he wore, he felt like he was melting. In fact, he was so preoccupied wiping the sweat from his brow, that when he next looked up, there stood Cloud and his friends, staring at them like they’d just crashed a party.

“Reno!” Aerith called, running over to stand in front of them. “Rude! We need your help.”

“Why in the ever-loving _fuck_ do we need their help?” the man with the cigarette shouted. “They goddamn look like Shinra to me!”

“They _are_ Shinra,” the man in red replied. “Turks, in fact.”

Aerith winced and smiled apologetically at Reno. “Sorry, Cid can be a bit of a handful. But listen, our friend Yuffie is missing. She took all of our Materia, and then Don Corneo took her, and – it’s a mess, really. I’m worried about her. Have you by any chance seen where they went?”

_Ah, so that’s what was going on earlier_ , Reno thought, glancing between Aerith and Cloud, and then nodding.

“Yeah, Corneo’s a slimy bastard,” Reno said. “Good at escaping. He’s got Elena, too.”

“Elena?” Aerith echoed, gripping her staff nervously between her hands. “Is that the Turk who keeps trying to kill us?”

“Yup.” Reno sighed. “You might not like her much, but she’s one of us, and she sure as hell doesn’t deserve what Corneo’s gonna do to her. Hell, _nobody_ deserves that.”

Leslie stepped forwards. “I can help. I know Cloud and his friends from Wall Market, although I’m not sure if you all remember me.”

Tifa nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I remember. Do you know where Corneo went?”

“Da-chao Mountain.”

Cloud nodded. “Then let’s not waste any time. Corneo took Yuffie from us, and Elena from you. If we didn’t before, I think we’ve all got a bone to pick with him now.”

It wasn’t the time, but Reno couldn’t ignore the way Cloud spoke. The anger that burned the edges of his words, but the sincerity that came through behind them. The _conviction_. Reno had sounded like that, once, the last time he’d faced Corneo. He’d been ignoring that fact ever since Leslie had stumbled into the bar, but it was looking more and more likely that he’d have to confront Corneo again. It had been years. And the deeper Reno dug, he wondered if the anger he’d once felt was even still there.

“If Elena is in his hands,” Reno said slowly, still caught up in his own thoughts, “that’s gonna make things a little difficult. He’s likely gonna use her as bait. Or worse.”

“We should split up,” Tifa suggested. “Cover more ground, corner him from all sides.”

“Good idea.” Reno nodded. “And don’t misunderstand, alright? This ain’t us joining Avalanche or some crap. We’re just… agreeing to help each other out. That’s all.”

Tifa took a step forward. “That’s fine. We have absolutely no intention of siding with the Turks either. Now, how do we get to Corneo?”

Leslie nodded and broke out into a jog. “Follow me.”

Their group, now much larger, headed out to Da-chao Mountain with Leslie in the lead. Reno fell to the back, keeping an eye on everyone, but particularly the man in red. How had he known they were Turks? When they arrived at the foot of the towering mountain with a giant statue carved into the stone of the front, Rude issued the orders to split up into pairs and one three, and scout around for any sign of Don Corneo. Reno made for Cloud, only to be cut off by Tifa stepping in front of him.

“I don’t think so,” she said sweetly.

Reno grit his teeth. “Ya got some kinda problem with me, sweetheart?”

“I just thought this would be a good opportunity for a little talk, is all.”

With the groups decided, they split off and headed up the mountain, clambering up over the rocky outcrops and ridges formed by the statue carved into its face. Reno stalked off ahead of Tifa, trying to keep himself focused on the task at hand, and not the way he could just about feel her steely gaze boring a hole through the back of his head. Halfway up to the head of the statue, Reno’s patience wore thin.

“Cut it out, would ya?” He snapped, turning to where Tifa was stood with her arms folded behind him. “You said ya wanted to talk, so how about _saying_ something – don’t just _stare_ at me like that!”

“Fine.”

She shrugged and strode up to stand directly in front of him, dropping her arms to her sides and leaning threateningly into his space.

“You need to leave Cloud alone.”

Reno did a double take. “Say what?”

“Don’t think I don’t see it.” Tifa’s voice was tinged with anger, and she stuck an accusing finger into his chest. “You’re confusing him. He doesn’t – he doesn’t _remember_ things, alright? _Important_ things. I’m trying to give him the time that he needs, and then you come along, and he starts asking me all these questions about Nibelheim and Sector 5 and other things I don’t have answers for. Shinra hurt him. And I just don’t want him getting hurt again.”

Reno’s voice lodged somewhere in his throat, stuck fast by the sheer barrage of emotion that hit him all at once. He stared at Tifa, the sincerity in her deep red eyes, and felt entirely overwhelmed. Did what she said mean that Cloud remembered more than what he was letting on?

“I…” Reno took a faltering step back and shook himself. “Let’s get one thing clear: I ain’t planning any of this, alright? I get sent where Shinra wants me to go. It just so happens that that’s where you lot are too.”

“Right.” Tifa crossed her arms, unconvinced. “Junon? Gongaga?”

“Coincidences, I swear.”

“So you _don’t_ like him?”

“I – what?”

Tifa nodded. “That’s what I thought. Aerith was right. You’re the one he keeps talking about, right?”

Reno’s heart almost stopped. “What’re you talking about?” he asked, intending to sound annoyed, but it simply came out breathless.

“You’re the Turk from Sector 5.”

Tifa held his gaze evenly, expression controlled. Reno was doing his best to steady his breathing, but it honestly felt as though his heart was about to burst out of his chest it was beating so fast.

Tifa sighed after a long beat. “Look, I get that that was a long time ago, but he still cares about you, regardless of what exactly he remembers. But I’m telling you to leave him alone before he gets in over his head with someone who could give less of a damn about what happens to him.”

“Who says I don’t give a damn?” Reno’s hand curled into a fist instinctively, his tone immediately defensive. “No offence, sweetheart, but you don’t know _shit_. You don’t know everything I’ve done to keep him safe - how many times they coulda had my head, how many times I almost didn’t make it, how many times he tried to kill me himself. So in the nicest way possible, _fuck_ you. I’ve been looking out for him a hell of a lot longer than you have. And you can try to stop me if ya want, but I’ll still be doing it, even if he turned round right now and told me he wanted me dead.”

The last of Reno’s words had risen to a shout and they echoed off of the mountain, fading into silence. After a tense beat, Tifa broke out into a soft smile.

“Good.”

“Good?” Reno echoed, incredulous. “The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“It _means_ that that was what I’d been hoping you’d say.”

She strode past him and patted him on the arm as she went, hopping up delicately onto the next ridge of stone. Reno turned to watch her go, mouth moving uselessly, no words coming out.

“We should catch up with the others,” Tifa called back. “They might have found something by now.”

“I…” Reno rubbed at the back of his head to disguise his awkwardness. “You _tricked_ me.”

“Hmm.” Tifa put a finger to her lips in faux contemplation. “Nope! I just wanted to check you were being sincere. And you were! If Cloud trusts you, then I do too. So let’s hurry up and kick Corneo’s ass so we can get you back to your vacation.”

She turned on her heel and made off up the slope, leaving Reno staring after her, shaking his head in disbelief. _Fuck if Cloud’s friends ain’t a handful_ , he thought. _But hey – at least they’ve got his back._

XXX

They reached the face of the statue in the early afternoon, the sun blazing down from a brilliant blue sky. Tifa met up with the man in red ahead, crouched by the curled-up figure of Red-XIII, and he motioned for both of them to be quiet. They ducked down and joined them in their hiding place; a fallen shard of stone to the left of the statue, lying side on against the statue’s enormous extended arm.

“Reno, this is Vincent,” Tifa whispered, gesturing to the man in red. “We picked him up at Nibelheim.”

“Nibelheim, huh?” Reno muttered, and then said to Vincent: “I gotta say, under all that crap you’re wearing, ya look kinda familiar. Have I tried to kill you before?”

“No.” Vincent’s voice was icy. “But I know a Turk when I see one.”

Tifa peeked up over the rock and then popped back down again. “I see him – Corneo is there. He’s got Yuffie and Elena with him.”

Reno nodded, pulse quickening. “They okay?”

“For now. Looks like they’re hooked up to some sort of trap. Cloud is over with Leslie and Aerith – they’re talking to Corneo.”

“Do you think it likely the Don will surrender?” Red-XIII asked, his voice a strange, jarring growl.

“Not a chance in hell,” Reno replied, trying to stop the way his stomach had begun twisting itself in knots. “Leslie mentioned a ‘new pet’. My guess is he’ll drop that on ‘em and try and make a run for it.”

Tifa nodded. “Well, don’t worry about him going anywhere. Take a look.”

She pointed over the stone and Reno shuffled forwards to see. Around the back of the head of the statue carving crouched Rude, and in the shadows behind him waited Cait Sith, Cid, and Barret, all with their weapons ready. Rude had donned his black leather gloves and flexed them, noticing Reno and nodding to him across the distance. Reno nodded back and made to pull away, but his gaze then fell to Cloud, Buster Sword readied, and then to the man in front of him.

It had been fifteen years, but Don Corneo somehow looked almost no different. His hair was a little thinner, his gut a little thicker, but there he was in the flesh, chattering away as though he hadn’t a care in the world. The man who’d ruined Reno’s life.

And somehow, Reno thought he’d feel angrier. But he didn’t. There was a hollowness that settled itself in the pit of his stomach in place of the knots, but the rage never followed like it usually did. Instead, he felt a disconnect, as if he was looking at someone else.

Vincent’s clawed gauntlet about the neck of his shirt dragged Reno back down and away from the unfolding scene, before he even had a chance to check Elena was alright.

“Don’t linger,” Vincent advised coldly.

“Fuckin’ ray of sunshine, ain’tcha, Vince?” Reno mocked, unlooping his nightstick from the back of his jeans. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a front door guns blazing kinda guy.”

“Wait,” Tifa said, laying a warning hand on his arm. “We have the upper hand, here. Corneo doesn’t know Cloud has backup, so let’s just wait and see if they need help. We could catch Corneo by surprise.”

Reno grumbled but was forced to agree – if not for Tifa’s logic, then by Vincent’s deathly stare. Geez, what the hell was up with this guy? Was everyone in Cloud’s group gunning for the Turks now?

They all huddled into the rock, straining to hear what Don Corneo was saying, his voice carrying over on the slightest breeze.

“Hmm, you guys are serious,” Corneo drawled contemptuously. “Good…good…This ain’t no time for me to be fooling around, either. Why did you kill my little Aps? I’m gonna make you play with my _new_ pet, so you won’t get in my way of my search for my _new_ bride! Rapps! Come here!”

“Bingo,” Reno muttered.

There was the sound of beating wings and the monstrous shape of some beast flew in low towards the mountain. Reno braced himself back against the stone for fear of losing his footing and falling as a blast of air hit their group in the creature’s wake. It looked like some sort of dragon; iridescent purple wings, shimmering green scales, and a long, barbed tail. A second later and gunfire exploded out across the mountain, no doubt from Leslie. Reno made to stand and join the fray but both Vincent and Tifa pulled him back down.

“Not yet!” Tifa whispered fiercely. “They can handle it. We wait until the last possible moment.”

“She’s right,” Red-XIII added unhelpfully from beside Vincent. “I cannot speak for your friend, but Cloud and Aerith are formidable in combat. The beast stands no chance against them.”

“Fine!” Reno grumbled, shaking them off of him. “I get it, they can take care of themselves. Yeesh.”

A storm of lightning burst outwards from the mountainside as Aerith unleashed a powerful blast from her staff. The creature shrieked in response, its body wracked in pain, much to Corneo’s audible dismay. Reno stayed frustratingly silent, listening to the ensuing battle behind him. But Tifa and Red-XIII had been right. In just a few minutes, there was a final shout from Cloud and the sound of metal meeting bone. The dying shrieks of the Don’s pet could be heard all the way down the sides of the mountain as its body dropped out of the sky.

Corneo’s pleas were painfully loud in the subsequent silence. “Wait, now, just – _wait_ a second!”

“Enough!” Cloud’s tone was merciless. “You’ve lost, Corneo. Just let Yuffie and Elena go.”

Reno mouthed _Now?_ at Tifa and she nodded.

“Vincent, Nanaki, and I will go and see if there’s a way to untie Yuffie and Elena while Corneo’s distracted,” she whispered. “If it looks like he’s going to spot us, make sure that he doesn’t.”

“You got it.”

Reno ducked out of their hiding place, skirting the edge of the scene, still staying low as the conversation between Cloud and Corneo continued. Vincent, Tifa, and Red-XIII – or ‘Nanaki’, as Tifa had called him – snuck past him, blending into the shadows cast by the sun to meet with Rude’s group around the back of the statue’s head. In just a second Tifa had effortlessly scaled the back left of the carving and was beginning to make her way over to where Elena and Yuffie were strapped to the face of it by thick wire coils at their arms and feet.

Elena caught Reno’s eye, her shades gone, her clothes and hair in disarray. For a moment, relief passed across her face, but it was quickly followed by humiliation, and she hung her head shamefully, looking away.

Reno grit his teeth and turned back to where Corneo stood, addressing Cloud, Aerith, and Leslie.

“The thing is,” Corneo said smugly, slipping a hand into his pocket, “You don’t know that I came _prepared_.”

In a flash he’d pulled out a small, black box and held it high, thumb hovering over the red button in the centre. Leslie raised his gun and pointed it at Corneo, but his hand shook ever so slightly, and Corneo noticed.

“Oh, Leslie. Did you really think that a bad guy like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life? I’m the _Don_ , baby.”

“Whatever that thing is,” Leslie managed through gritted teeth, “drop it.”

“Now, now,” Corneo teased. “If I push this button, it’ll detonate the bombs strapped to the mountain behind them, and we'll have a nice display of guts! All red and freshly squeezed – boom! Like squashed tomatoes!”

Reno felt his stomach drop and glanced to where Tifa had frozen, one hand outstretched towards Elena’s restraints in an attempt to undo them. The image of Elena getting blown to shreds played across Reno’s mind, followed quickly by their conversation in her room just the night before. He couldn’t let this happen. Don Corneo couldn’t get away with this. Over and over Reno had watched women get used up and spat out by Corneo, ever since Reno had joined his service. He couldn’t watch it happen again.

The Don’s guffawing laughter rang out across the mountain. “Ha, ha, ha, ha! Come now Leslie, we’ve done this dance before. Don’t you remember? I guess I'm the one laughing last!”

Reno clenched his fist and drew his nightstick from the back of his trousers. Now _there_ was the anger he’d been searching for, white hot and coiled like a serpent in the pit of his stomach.

“No, Corneo,” Reno called, voice laced with venom, “ _that_ would be _us_.”

The Don looked up as Reno leapt forwards onto the statue’s arm and unleashed a shockwave of crackling blue electricity from the nightstick. It burst forwards through the stone and encircled the Don’s body in ribbons of electricity, sending his nerves into frantic contractions as they shook with the effort of staying upright.

“Aerith!” Reno shouted. “Get the detonator!”

She nodded. “You got it!”

As Aerith dove forwards to snatch the switch from where it fell from Corneo’s hand, Cloud broke into a sprint and kicked the Don square in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards towards the edge of the statue’s hand as the electricity at last wore off. Scrambling to right himself, Corneo just managed to hang onto the stone as he toppled over, dangling from the carving by just his own hands.

“ _Reno_!” he growled, struggling to hold on. “I should have known I’d see you again!”

Reno glanced over, checking that Aerith had seized the detonator, and then called to Tifa and the others that it was safe to untie Elena and Yuffie. Cloud shot Reno a serious look and stepped out of the way as Reno walked forwards, twirling the nightstick in one hand, and beckoned Leslie to follow him over to where Corneo hung over the edge.

“Wish I could say it’s a pleasure,” Reno sneered, “but the only pleasure in seeing ya again is the chance to kick your ass.”

“C-Come now!” The Don’s voice wavered slightly, looking up at the two men now standing over him. “I’m sure we can come to some sort of _arrangement,_ here. You don’t wanna do this, do you? Look around! Come to your senses!”

“ _Our_ senses? What _exactly_ do ya think you’ve got on us, Corneo? All the way out here in Wutai, running scared… Shinra doesn’t need you anymore, do they? ‘Cause Les and me – we sure as hell don’t.”

Corneo’s voice fractured in its desperation. “That’s – that’s not true! Just give me time. Listen, I can offer you whatever you want. Just help me up from here, alright?”

Leslie’s grip tightened around his gun. “Merle, Corneo. Where is she?”

“Yes! Merle!” Corneo glanced between them, sweating. “Give me a hand I’ll get you back your sister!”

The silence was deafening. Leslie took an unsteady step forward, the gun wavering in his grip. Reno watched him go, his earlier anger ebbing with each breath. Tifa and Rude had helped Elena and Yuffie down from the statue’s face now, and everyone’s eyes were on them. Even Cloud watched gravely from the sidelines, his brow creased with concern.

“Merle was my _fiancée_ ,” Leslie said slowly.

Corneo looked up frantically. “Ah – yes! Your fiancée! Of course! I – I can help you find her!”

“Leave it.”

Leslie looked down at where Reno had laid his nightstick across Leslie’s chest. “But, Reno–”

“He doesn’t know.” Reno turned to look back down at Corneo. “Do ya, sleezebag? You don’t know shit about where Merle is, or any of the other women you threw away once you were finished with them.”

“Not true! After all, I very _dearly_ remember your mother.”

Every muscle in Reno’s body tensed at once. His grip had tightened so strongly around the nightstick his knuckles burned white where the bone shone through his skin. Even speaking was like spitting lead through clenched teeth.

“Shut. Up.”

“Oh, she was _beautiful_ ,” Corneo continued desperately. “Best I’d ever had. And that _voice_. I remember, her hair was just as red as–”

“I said _shut it_!”

Reno brought his nightstick down hard on the Don’s left hand. He yelped and pulled it back, crying out in fright to now only be hanging by his one remaining hand from the edge of the stone.

“You don’t get to talk about her,” Reno snarled. “ _Ever_. Ya got that? And don’t try to buy me back with that bullshit, ‘cause it’s _bullshit_ and I _know_ it. If she was alive, I’d have found her by now. Believe me, Corneo – I searched every file, every recording, every database Shinra had. I spent years’ worth of leave up and down Gaia looking for her. So don’t try to sell me that crap, ‘cause I’m _through_ buying it from pieces of shit like you.”

Reno’s breath came in short, sharp bursts, chest heaving, teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. Corneo made to reply but Reno never gave him the chance. He spun on his heel, pushing roughly past Cloud standing behind them and calling back to Leslie as he walked away.

“Go ahead, Les. He’s all yours.”

Heat radiated off of the hot earth of the mountainside as Reno stumbled back down to the bottom. His head spun and his stomach ached, and by the time the incline gave way to flat earth his legs just about gave way as he collapsed down onto a rock near the base of the mountain path.

For a long while Reno just sat there, breathing deeply and with control, until the panic in his chest gave way instead to a tolerable unease. Corneo had always known how to push his buttons, even after he’d joined Shinra. But this was the final straw. It was true he’d spent years of his life searching for his mother. He’d never found her, but he knew in his heart he never would. In Reno’s experience, someone only disappeared off of the face of the planet like that after they were dead. And he’d made peace with that a long time ago.

A gentle hand at Reno’s shoulder snapped him from his racing thoughts. He looked up sharply, eyes refocusing to take in Aerith standing over him with a warm smile on her face.

“Not in the mood, princess,” Reno muttered, stumbling to his feet. “Go bother someone else.”

“Ah,” Aerith said softly, “But _this_ someone needs me. His mother told me so.”

Reno whipped around to look at her, heart rocketing back into his throat. “What did you just say?”

“Your mother. She’s really proud of you. She… wanted me to let you know.”

Aerith stood there, hands clasped loosely in front of her, and offered Reno the kindest of smiles. If it had been anyone other than Aerith, Reno might have thought they were joking, trying to be cruel. But… Zack, Sector 7 – Aerith had _known_.

“She is?” Reno whispered, voice cracking.

Aerith nodded brightly. “Very much so.”

And without really thinking, Reno stumbled forwards and wrapped his arms around Aerith, burying his head into her neck to disguise his stinging eyes. She held him back tightly, her fingers pressing into the warmth of his back. They stood like that for a few minutes, Aerith running a soothing hand over his shirt, until the faintest sounds of footfalls on rock warned them of the arrival of the others down the mountain.

Reno pulled away and Aerith gave his hand a final, reassuring squeeze before she turned to greet the others. Yuffie was pulling Materia out of every pocket and pouch on her person, handing them out between the group, who looked at her with a combination of annoyance and vague amusement on their faces as the Materia, inconceivably, kept on coming. Elena pushed past Tifa in the lead and jogged out towards where Reno stood, slowing to a halt a few metres in front of him. Her expression was twisted by nerves.

“I…” Elena’s voice was raw. “I never expected you to come help. Thank you.”

Reno bobbed his head and forced his tone to come out level. “What’d I tell ya? You’re one of us now. We’ve got your back.”

Rude nodded from where he stood behind her. “He’s right, Elena.”

“And where’s Leslie?” Reno asked, scanning the group. “He coming?”

“No,” Tifa said, shaking her head. “He said to go on back without him.”

The sound of Elena’s ringtone interrupted Reno’s next question and she reached into her pocket to answer it. Reno’s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Rufus’s name on the VDU.

“M-Mister President, sir!” Elena said, a little breathlessly, and then paused for a long beat. “Um, yes, sir, we received the report about Avalanche."

Everyone turned to look at Elena where she stood, halfway between Avalanche behind her, and Reno and Aerith in front. Tension seeped into Reno’s guts. Avalanche might have just had a hand in saving Elena’s life, but she still had a job to do. She’d made that abundantly clear back at the bar. After a tense beat, Elena turned towards Avalanche, the phone still to her ear, and nodded.

“…No, sir. There’s no trace of Avalanche in Wutai. We’ve checked.”

Reno let out a shaky breath and caught Aerith’s eye as she smiled at Elena. Another few seconds and the call ended, Elena stuffing the phone back into her pocket and clearing her throat awkwardly.

“Listen, I… this is a free pass, okay?” she called to Cloud and his friends. “Just for today. I’m a Turk! And it’s our duty to apprehend fugitives like you. But… you saved my life. You all did. So… thank you.”

Reno strode forwards and slung an arm about Elena’s neck, ruffling her hair affectionately with his free hand. She blushed and batted him away.

“I knew ya were a softie,” Reno teased. “Drinks are on me back at the bar, alright?”

“Yeah,” Elena said, smiling. “Thanks.”

“Oi!” Cid called as they turned to leave. “That, uh, an open offer?”

Reno rolled his eyes. “Why the hell not.”


	13. Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Let’s get lost tonight, breathe as one tonight.  
> You’ll be gone with the sun, there’s no guarantee,  
> You can take all you want from me tonight.”  
> – Tonight, Nurko.

It was sundown by the time they’d all trailed back to Turtle’s Paradise. The bartender noticeably recoiled at seeing everyone again, but Reno shot him what he hoped was a reassuring smile and left a generous tip on their first round. Naturally, they gravitated into their two groups again – Cloud and the rest of Avalanche clustered around a table in the back, Cid still loudly berating Yuffie for the Materia theft – and the Turks at the adjacent table. Elena nipped off to the bathrooms to tidy herself up and came back looking much fresher, although the creases in her clothes would need more than just a brush down to remove.

“Still hungover?” Reno joked, sliding her across a cocktail as red as his hair.

Elena rolled her eyes and took it gratefully. “An entirely different kind of hungover, now. God, I just wanna drink until I pass out.”

Reno chuckled. “Yeah, being in the Turks’ll do that to ya.”

Night swept in across Wutai, cooling off the scorched earth from the day’s heat. A pleasant breeze blew in through the Paradise’s doors, now propped open as the air inside began to warm, and just as everyone inside had begun to relax and unwind after the day’s events, in strode Leslie.

Reno stood and crossed the bar to meet him halfway, drink still clutched in his hand. Leslie smiled when he saw him, but there was something in his eyes that told Reno he wasn’t much up for conversation.

“How’d it go?” Reno asked quietly, consciously aware of the lull in chatter from the tables behind him. “You, uh…”

“Yeah.”

Leslie’s tone left no room for doubt and Reno nodded slowly, suddenly aware of the weight of the drink in his hand. So Corneo was dead. Something Reno had tried to do for years, finished in the space of a single afternoon. It didn’t bring him the bliss he thought it would. Instead, there was just a heavy sort of relief and the silent promise that something better would follow.

“Here, you need this more than I do.”

Reno offered his drink to Leslie but Leslie smiled and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Listen, I’m gonna head. Corneo gave me a lead on Merle, and know it’s probably horseshit, but just in case, I don’t really wanna wait. So… I’ll see you around. Alright?”

“Yeah,” Reno said, surprised. “Take care of yourself, ya hear me?”

Leslie nodded and turned to leave. “Will do.”

Reno stood and watched Leslie until he’d disappeared into the night. When he turned and sat back down at his table, Elena and Rude leant forwards, gauging his reaction. Not wanting to get into a discussion, Reno just gave them an affirmative nod and downed his drink.

“You did good,” Rude murmured after a beat. “Leslie’ll be alright.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Elena sighed. “I really do feel like I have some catching up to do. Do all Turks have as many secrets as the both of you?”

“Nah,” Reno grinned. “Rude and me are _enigmas_.”

Rude led the conversation away from the topic of Corneo, but Reno found it a little harder to follow. His mind was occupied by what Leslie had told him, that Corneo had given him a lead on where Merle might be. Had Reno made a mistake? Would Corneo have info on his mother he’d somehow missed? It was hard to wrestle his thoughts under control. Reno had to remind himself that his mother was taken years before Merle. Even with the most powerful and cohesive database in Gaia, he hadn’t been able to track her down.

No, she was gone. There were no two doubts about it. Aerith had made that clear. But still, it was difficult to force Corneo’s taunts out of his head.

The evening drew on and Aerith dragged her chair over to the Turks’ table, much to Cid’s dismay. She shoogled herself in between Rude and Elena and braced her elbows on the table to prop up her head in her hands, smiling brightly.

“Elena! We didn’t get the chance to talk earlier. I’m Aerith.”

Elena blushed. “Ah, yes. Sorry. I know you. Tseng talks about you a lot.”

“Oh, he _does_ , does he?” Aerith said playfully. “And just _what_ does he say about me, hm?”

Elena’s blush deepened and she squirmed in her seat. “I… shouldn’t have told you that. Rude! Don’t let me get this drunk in front of fugitives!”

Rude laughed and held up his hands. “This one’s on you, Elena. Don’t drag me into it.”

Cid, on hearing the ensuing hilarity, squeaked his chair over to join their table too, coming in beside Elena and banging his drink down.

“Hey! _Hey_! No fraternizing with the enemy!”

“The enemy, huh?” Reno asked amusedly, leaning back in his chair. “You got something against the Turks, old man?”

“ _’Old man’_?!” Cid’s face turned bright red. “Listen here, asshat, I’ll fuckin’–”

Aerith butted in reproachingly. “Cid! These people are my friends.”

_“But–!”_

“Besides!” Aerith continued over the top of him. “We’ve all agreed to be civil for one night, at least. You can do that, can’t you?”

Cid looked as if he might explode. “Vincent!” he snapped. “Get yer ass over here and get this missy a tellin’ about not being cozy with Shinra!”

And that was how it started. In twenty minutes, after a flow of folks from Avalanche’s table to the Turks’, Barret decided to just push the two tables together and be done with it. And… it was nice, Reno grudgingly had to admit. He didn’t find anyone completely intolerable; even Cid, with an apparent vendetta against all things Shinra after being screwed over by them twice already, had his lighter moments. Only Vincent didn’t engage. He disappeared out in the night after only an hour, making noises about going to find somewhere quieter.

“What’s his deal?” Reno asked, jerking a thumb in the direction Vincent left. “He got a problem with Turks too?”

Aerith frowned. “I’m… not sure. He doesn’t talk much, but he seems to have taken a shine to Cloud. We found him sleeping under Shinra Manor.”

“Shinra Manor, huh? What’d you say his last name was again?”

“Valentine. Vincent Valentine.”

“ _Valentine_!” Reno said, slapping the table. “That’s it! Thought I recognised him!”

Aerith quirked her head. “You know him?”

“Yeah – well, no, not really, but he knew Veld, my old boss. He’s got a file back at HQ. Used to be a Turk, but Shinra handed him over to Hojo after he fucked Hojo’s girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Aerith said, wincing. “Oh no.”

“Yup. No wonder he almost killed me on sight.”

“But he didn’t!” Aerith added brightly. “I personally think he’s going after Hojo. We mentioned his name in Shinra Manor and that was it, he came with us straight away.”

“Figures.” Reno shrugged. “After all the shit he’s pulled, I doubt Hojo’ll get away with it. Someone, somewhere, is gonna rock up and take him out. After all, he’s pissed off enough people that one of ‘em’s bound to snap eventually.”

His gaze slid to Cloud across the table as they spoke, sipping a beer in near silence, watching everyone else’s conversations unfold. He looked almost… uncomfortable. Pleased to be there, but loathe to actually speak. A lot had changed in four years, but Reno didn’t mind. If this was as close as they’d come, then so be it. At least Cloud was safe.

Briefly, Reno wondered what Cloud might be like if Zack were here. Back in Gongaga, Cloud hadn’t seemed to remember Zack at all, not the least that he’d been Aerith’s boyfriend. Reno sighed and picked up his drink. He needed some air. Even when he was feeling alright, the guilt was still there, and sometimes it was hard to look at Cloud without being reminded of his failures.

He stepped outside and was instantly hit with the cool night air of Wutai Village, a welcome reprieve from the rising heat inside the bar. The quiet gurgle of the river was near enough the only sound and Reno wandered forwards to lean his forearms against the railing to watch the current flow past. He should be overjoyed. Corneo was dead, Aerith was safe, and Cloud was –

Well, he was Cloud.

But Reno just felt tired. He grasped the neck of the bottle loosely in his hand and sipped it intermittently, rummaging around in his jacket for his packet of cigarettes. There was only one left. Reno sighed and pulled it out, patting his pockets down for a lighter and coming up empty.

“Need a light?”

Reno raised an eyebrow and turned around. Cloud stood behind him, arms hanging slack by his sides, cheeks flushed and hair a tad dishevelled, no doubt from an aggressively affectionate noogie from a drunk Barret as he’d tried to escape their table.

“Since when did you smoke?” Reno asked slowly, leaning his back against the railing. “That shit’ll kill you, ya know.”

Cloud shrugged and walked towards him. “Never said I did.”

Reno popped the cigarette in his mouth and leant forwards as Cloud came to stand in front of him, raising his hand and snapping two fingers. A brief spark of fire burst forth from them, glowing orange in the dark. Reno leant forwards and lit the cigarette, quietly impressed.

“Neat trick,” Reno murmured, taking a deep drag.

In the brief silence that followed, Cloud turned and leant his back against the railing beside him, folding his arms across his chest. Reno regarded him curiously, thankful for the cigarette to occupy his idle hands. Cloud was so _close_ , and there was no giant monsters or sadistic crime lords or power-hungry organisations getting in the way. It was just the comforting ambience of the bar spilling out onto the street and that inch or so of space between them filled with things unsaid.

“Too warm?” Cloud asked after a minute, nodding to the bar.

“Too much,” Reno answered quietly, glancing away. “What’re you doing out here, anyways?”

“I… too much, as well, I guess.”

Something snagged in Reno’s chest. For just a moment, he saw that naïve young Trooper again, white crop, bandana necktie, standing alone under the gaudy lights of Wall Market, trying his best not to look completely overwhelmed. A lot had changed since then, but it seemed that Cloud still wasn’t the extroverted type.

“You know, I…” Cloud glanced away, stirring Reno from his thoughts. “I didn’t know about you and Corneo.”

“Oh.” Reno couldn’t keep the caution from his tone. “Yeah, well, it’s not like it’s something I go plastering around on the news, ya know?”

“No. I know. I just… I know what that’s like.”

Reno stared at him. Of _course_ Cloud did. Why hadn’t Reno thought about that? Cloud had lost his mother in Nibelheim, and his file didn’t mention another parent in the picture. No siblings, no partners, and with Zack dead…

“Figures,” Reno muttered, taking a deep drink from the bottle still clutched in his hand. “Sephiroth’s your Corneo. No wonder you wanna track him down so bad.”

“Yeah. Shinra’s good at making things personal.”

Reno winced, thinking back to the orders he’d been issued to kill Cloud on sight.

“Yeah, they sure are.”

Cloud didn’t say anything else, so Reno offered him a drink. Cloud shuffled closer, their arms brushing as he took the bottle from Reno. And just looking at Cloud, quietly content to stand and drink with him after the day they’d had, Reno realised that _this_ was what was too much for him. It wasn’t the bar, it wasn’t the heat, or the comments from Cid. It was standing so close to the person he’d fallen so hard for and not being able to breathe. Not knowing whether or not Cloud was ever going to see him – _really_ see him, or this was all they’d have left.

It stung. Reno looked away and took a long drag on his cigarette. That was it, then. Either he had to be content with what they had, or give up. And he’d given up on Cloud once before.

“Ya know, we gotta stop meeting like this.” Reno gestured vaguely to the town around them, but the usual bite was absent from his teasing. “How many more times am I gonna have to swoop in and save ya?”

Cloud smiled. “This doesn’t count. We saved your friend, you saved ours. That’s a tie.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“But…” Cloud slipped a hand into his pocket and glanced away. “I think I’m always going to be trying to outdo you.”

Reno cocked his head. “How so?”

“Well, you’re still one step ahead of me. You saved me in Sector 5.”

Reno felt like he’d just had the air knocked out of his lungs. “Say what now?”

Cloud turned to face Reno, taking his wrist gently in one hand and pulling the other out of his pocket, fingers curled tight around something small. He placed it in Reno’s upturned palm and let go, leaving Reno standing there, staring down at the tattered square of white card Cloud had left behind. Reno’s breath hitched to see it again. He’d put it entirely out of his mind since they’d last parted in Gongaga, but there it was again, back like magic. The faded numbers, the sticky tape, and Cloud’s signature, embellished with a kiss. Reno reached out with his other hand grasped it between his thumb and finger, studying it for a long beat.

Aerith had been right after all. Reno looked up, heart racing, and Cloud nodded.

“While you were sleeping. Right?”

“Sector 5, I…” Reno struggled to get the words out. “You _remember_?”

“Not everything. Not all of it, but…” Cloud risked a glance at Reno. “I remember enough.” He turned away and leant back against the railing again, refusing to meet Reno’s eye. “It was… the night before the Nibelheim mission. I was in Wall Market. It was my birthday, I think. I was going to leave, and then I saw you. You offered me a drink. You asked if – if I wanted to go somewhere else.”

Reno stared at Cloud, only half-registering what he was saying as he continued. Memories of that night filtered into his mind as Cloud spoke, an accompaniment to the descriptions Cloud gave. And with them came back all those feelings – their adrenaline-driven first kiss in the alley, the dance under the Sector 5 lights, the way Reno’s heart had ached to see Cloud curled up fast asleep in the sheets next to him, the subtle rise and fall of a bruised chest that he’d failed to protect.

“Sorry,” Cloud finished quietly. “I’m not good with words. With…”

“Don’t sweat it,” Reno answered, throat tight.

“I’d wondered, when you tried so hard to stop me falling, back in Sector 7. Then again, in Junon, you helped me out. Gongaga, too.” Cloud held his gaze steadily. “And then I realised. You’d say things, and… I’d remember. Bits and pieces. Echoes of things, like I was seeing them through someone else’s eyes.” He paused, when Reno didn’t say anything else. “You don’t have to do that, you know. Protect me. I can take care of myself.”

“Force of habit.”

Cloud sighed. “I told you that I’m not good with words. I guess, what I’m trying to say, is… I’d like to spend more time with you.”

It took Reno a moment to find his voice. It was trapped somewhere in his throat, lost between the ache in his chest and the incessant thudding of his own heart.

“But I – I’m a Turk,” he said desperately. “I’m _Shinra_.”

“So was I.”

Cloud turned to face him, leaning against the rail with just his hip. Reno’s resolve melted. Cloud’s waist brushed Reno’s and he leant forwards, gloved hand coming up to grace the side of Reno’s jaw. Reno reciprocated, his own hand ghosting across the bare skin of Cloud’s arm, fire in his fingertips, and when Cloud angled his head up, warm breath tinged with booze against Reno’s lips, it felt like Sector 5 all over again.

“Can I kiss you?” Cloud murmured, their noses touching. “It’s just–”

“God, shut _up_ ,” Reno breathed, and kissed him first.

He tasted just like Reno remembered. The smell of his skin and the warmth of his lips were intoxicating, the way Cloud fumbled with his position, turning this way and that, letting Reno take the lead and pushing into him with these needy, desperate breaths in between to let Reno know he wanted more. Reno’s hand found the front of Cloud’s uniform and entwined itself there, tugging him as close as they could get. Warmth flooded his body, a rising heat that made it hard not to just slip his fingers under Cloud’s belt there and then, in front of the bar, in the middle of town, and let him know just how much he needed him. They got lost in the moment, Reno very much trying to ignore the way his heart was beating so fast he felt it might burst.

“What. The. _Fuck_.”

They broke apart instantly, heads whipping round to take in Elena standing there, the glass she’d held slipping out of her grasp and smashing on the ground next to her. Cloud coughed and stood a step back, hand palming the back of his neck to disguise his embarrassment. Reno stared at Elena, heart pounding, watching her eyes flit slowly back and forth between them, mouth agape.

“ _Him_?” she said at last, pointing an accusing finger at Cloud. “ _He’s_ the one you fell for?”

For once in his life, Reno was at a loss for words. What could he say? Elena had promised to look the other way for one night, but now that she knew how he really felt about Cloud, would that really stop her reporting him first thing tomorrow morning?

“But…he’s _Avalanche_!” Elena continued, distraught. “He’s the _enemy_! I thought – I thought you meant like, a competitor in Midgar, or something, not a _wanted criminal_!”

“What’re you gonna do, huh?” Reno snapped at last. “Run along and tell Rufus like a good little Turk? Grow a spine, Elena. Weren’t you the one who asked me just last night for a bit of sympathy?”

Elena stared at him, blushing furiously. “I… that’s _different_! Tseng’s a Turk too!” 

“ _How_ is that any different?! Ya know, one of these days he’s gonna have to make a choice about who’s side he wants to be on, and then you’re gonna have to make one of your own: Shinra, or _him_.”

Elena faltered, mouth moving uselessly but no words coming out. Cloud glanced between them awkwardly and then sighed.

“I… should go.”

“No.” Reno stared at Elena coldly and snatched up Cloud’s hand, stuffing the card into his pocket with the other. “I’m done here.”

He turned and strode away, tugging Cloud behind him. Reno was doing his best to act unbothered, but really, he’d never felt so apprehensive. Contrasting feelings slammed into one another, the joy at Cloud’s advances coming up against his anger at being discovered. If Elena told Rufus, it was over. He’d lose his job, his home – Rude, even, too, which was something Reno could barely even register right now. Reno was a Turk. Turks died in company employ. If he tried to run, Shinra would no doubt find him.

The sound of footfalls on the stone behind him snapped him from his worries and he stopped as Elena ran and skidded to a halt in front of them.

“Get outta the way,” Reno muttered darkly. “I’m done playing games, Elena. I mean it.”

Elena nodded ardently, her face earnest. “I know. I know, and – I’m sorry, I won’t say anything, alright? The President… doesn’t need to know.”

Reno dropped his hand from Cloud’s wrist. “What?”

“I thought about it, and, you know… as long as it doesn’t interfere with company procedures, I think… I think I could just pretend I never saw you two.” Elena paused and fumbled nervously with her hands. “After all, we’re… we’re friends now, right? And friends look out for each other.”

If Reno hadn’t been so pissed at Elena he might have even smiled. Instead, he just nodded slowly, surprised to find a reassuring hand from Cloud on his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Cloud said quietly. “And, listen, about you and, um, Tseng–”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Elena replied quickly, waving her hands. “No, we’re not together, I…”

Reno dug into his pocket and held out the card to Elena. She stared at it dubiously and Reno sighed.

“Go on. It ain’t poisoned.”

Elena took the card slowly and turned it over in her hands. “What… what is this?”

“Cloud gave it to me. The night we first met. It was four years ago in Sector 5, back when he was in the army.”

Elena glanced at Cloud, uncertain. “You mean…”

Cloud nodded. “We met before I left Shinra. I think what Reno’s trying to say is, uh, hang in there. Or something.”

She made to hand it back but Reno waved her away. “Nah, it’s yours now, kiddo. I got something a little better than an old piece of card.”

Cloud blushed and looked away. Elena nodded and slipped the card into her own pocket.

“Like… like a lucky charm. Right?”

Reno chuckled mirthlessly. “Exactly.”

With a final, appreciative look, Elena turned on her heel and headed back to the bar. Cloud turned and brushed Reno’s arm with his fingertips.

“Hey. You did good.”

“Did I?” Reno grumbled. “Scared the living shit outta me with that. Man, she’s a great kid, but she can be a real handful sometimes.”

Cloud pondered. “Hm. Does that sound familiar to you, d’you think?”

“You jackass,” Reno said, swatting Cloud’s arm. “After all the times I stuck my neck out for ya, and _this_ is the thanks I get?”

Cloud caught Reno’s arm as it fell. “Hey. You wanna get out of here?”

“Yeah,” Reno said, relieved. “Damn right I do.”

They arrived at the inn and Reno stubbed out his cigarette, barely inhaled after the altercation with Elena. Cloud booked a room for himself and they headed through, the key clinking gently in his pocket the only sound in the silent inn. When they reached Reno and Rude’s room, Reno slid the door back and turned to lean on the frame, arms folded, eyebrow raised.

“So what now, wonder boy?”

Cloud’s voice snagged in his throat and he coughed it away, embarrassed.

Reno nodded. “I get it. Ya don’t know me.”

“No,” Cloud said quietly. “But… I’d like to.”

He took a step forwards, propping the Buster Sword out of the way against the outer doorframe. Reno slackened his arms, coming up to brush Cloud’s waist as Cloud took Reno’s face in his hands and kissed him. It was slow and careful; gone was the fervour from the bar – now, they had time to savour it. Reno closed his eyes and lent into him, skin prickling at the feel of Cloud’s gloves against his jaw. This almost didn’t feel real, and yet here they were, four years later, like nothing had changed.

When they broke apart, Cloud didn’t drop his hands. Instead, he thumbed at Reno’s jaw, forehead brushing his. Reno tightened his grip about Cloud’s waist, hands entwining behind his back, doing his utmost not to immediately give into the warmth now pooling between his thighs at Cloud’s gentle caress.

“So what now, huh?” Reno murmured against Cloud’s lips. “You still holding back?”

Cloud’s voice came out broken as Reno slid his fingers down into his waistband to where the flesh was warm and soft.

“I – _ah_. Never said I wanted to go slow.”

“Oh yeah?” Reno grinned to feel Cloud pant at his touch. “Then show me just how badly you want it.”

Cloud succumbed, nodding as he pushing against Reno desperately, their bodies bumping together as they stumbled backwards into the room. Reno reached for the door and pulled it shut behind them as Cloud traced kisses down his cheek and jaw, gloved hands slipping further down to the buttons of his shirt. Reno’s breath hitched to feel the leather against his bare skin, Cloud making short work of his shirt buttons and tossing the garment aside onto the floor. In return, Reno tugged desperately at Cloud’s bracer and shoulder guard until they came undone. It was messy and rushed but Cloud was smiling diffidently, that flush still gracing his cheeks. His armour hit the floor and Reno reached for the tunic next, pulling it up over Cloud’s head and tossing it aside, his hair now even more erratic than Barret had left it. Reno paused, trailing his fingers down the muscled torso to where it once had turned purple and black from the punishing blows of a baseball bat. Cloud watched him, Mako eyes glimmering in the dark.

“Scars,” Reno muttered absently. “I… thought there’d be scars. Huh.”

Cloud kissed him hard, teeth nipping at his lower lip. “There’s still time.”

It was all a little much. Reno, drunk and overcome, pleaded silently with whatever higher power there might have been that this night might just last forever. Usually, he was here for a fuck and little else. And while fucking was good, Reno couldn’t get over the way that Cloud looked at him with such care in his eyes; as if Reno really meant something to him, as if this wasn’t just for fun. That part of him, it seemed, had not changed, and Reno ached to find it again after so long apart. Because Cloud wasn’t just a one-night-stand four years back, as much as Reno had hated to admit. No, Cloud was the only person who’d ever seen straight through Reno’s bravado without so much as a second glance.

The wall at the back of the room was stone and they hit it hard enough to make Reno’s bare shoulders twinge.

“Sorry,” Cloud breathed, mouth still lost somewhere between Reno’s jaw and ear.

Reno used the distraction to hook one leg around Cloud’s and twist them both round, switching positions with such rapidity that when Cloud slammed into the wall instead, he made a sound so close to a moan that Reno had to slow down before he took Cloud then and there against the stonework.

“Mhm,” Reno muttered, bracing his arms either side of Cloud’s head on the wall. “This is new.”

“Not new,” Cloud panted, hands scrabbling for Reno’s belt. “Just never got around to discussing it.”

“That so?”

Reno grinned and slid one of his hands across the wall to trace his fingers delicately against the pale, lightly freckled skin of Cloud’s neck. Cloud positively shivered at the touch. Reno grasped it loosely, feeling Cloud’s hands at his belt slow, and then pressed slowly into the flesh, hearing a long, ardent breath in response. At Cloud’s nod, Reno ducked his head and traced gossamer kisses down the curve of Cloud’s throat, fingers flexing intermittently. When he was working his way back up, Cloud’s leg jerked reflexively against the inside seam of Reno’s jeans and brushed across the rise below his belt. Reno groaned and bit down automatically in response, anything to divert attention from the frankly overwhelming heat between his thighs. He pulled back sharply, tasting blood, only to realise that Cloud was panting, eyes closed, brows pinched as though in pain.

“Fuck,” Reno said, licking Cloud’s blood from his lips. “I didn’t mean to–”

“ _More_.”

The word came out broken with desire, Cloud’s hand going to Reno’s at his throat and squeezing his wrist desperately. Reno regarded Cloud for a beat; a breathless, wanton mess, hair already dampened with sweat, and couldn’t quiet that hungry thing any longer. He snarled against Cloud’s throat, hard, but not enough to draw blood this time, as Cloud palmed his free hand over the front of Reno’s jeans.

“That’s cheating,” Reno moaned as Cloud’s fingers at last undid Reno’s belt.

“Really,” Cloud murmured, in a manner which suggested he knew this fact already. “What’re you gonna do about it?”

“Oh, you wanna _play_ , huh?”

Reno withdrew from Cloud’s neck and slipped a hand straight down Cloud’s trousers. Cloud whined under Reno’s touch, writhing appreciatively against the stone wall, cheeks flush, beads of sweat rolling down his temple and trailing the red from his throat down the muscles of his torso and chest. His hips bucked against Reno’s hand, betraying his desperation as Reno moved the flat of his hand against him in easy, practised strokes. Reno was silently pleased to have been able to reduce Cloud to such a whimpering wreck in such a short space of time. He knew that Cloud was stronger than him, easily able to physically overpower him given the chance, but that wasn’t what Cloud was here for.

“Don’t fuck with a Turk,” Reno smirked, catching Cloud’s next moan with his lips, “if ya wanna play fair.”

At some point, they found the bed. The sheets were cool and soft, a needed reprieve for their bruised shoulders. Reno’s jeans vanished, as did Cloud’s trousers, and it was bliss to alleviate some of the nigh-irresistible heat that had threatened to overwhelm the both of them before they were properly good and spent. And Cloud felt good under Reno’s hands; more solid than he once had, more muscle, more resilience, but Reno assumed these were all perks that came with the Mako enhancements.

The Mako. Somehow, it seemed to react to Cloud’s stimulation, glowing subtly brighter as Reno moved against him, little sparks flickering through his iris in an entirely enchanting yet altogether distracting display.

A million things ran through the back of Reno’s mind. Questions about Zack, about Sephiroth – hell, even about Hojo. But they seemed so small and unimportant now, superseded by the taste of Cloud’s mouth, the tugging of his hands, the warmth of his breath on Reno’s skin. If this was all he’d get, then Reno wasn’t about to waste it on interruptions. Who knew if he’d see Cloud again after this?

That thought lingered for a long while. Even once they’d finished, breathless, cheeks flushed, exchanging subtle glances – it stayed. Reno yawned and stretched, unable to calm his pounding heart.

Cloud watched him steadily, chin resting on Reno’s breastbone. The weight of Cloud on top of him was enough to coax a little life back into Reno’s exhausted body, and he ran his fingers absently through Cloud’s hair, dragging his nails soothingly across his scalp. Every so often he’d grab a fistful and tug gently, just to feel Cloud’s body tense and a low noise of appreciation emanate from deeper in his throat.

“You know,” Cloud murmured after a while, “I thought I’d be… um…”

“Bad?” Reno suggested.

Cloud blushed. “I’m not exactly experienced.”

“Meh. Whatcha lack in experience ya make up for in enthusiasm.”

Cloud pinched Reno’s torso sharply and Reno tugged on Cloud’s hair in response. The effect elicited little more than a contented sigh from the both of them.

“You’re infuriating, you know that?” Cloud muttered. “And for the record, Junon was just _cruel_.”

Reno raised an eyebrow. “Junon? What – the _supply closet_?”

“Yeah. And I wouldn’t have cared, but you chose the middle of a _Shinra military base_ to get handsy. Real polite, asshole. I’d never wanted to fuck anyone so bad in my entire life.”

“You _did_?”

“Come on. You were _teasing_ me.”

Reno grinned. “Was not. Not my fault ya can’t resist my roguish charms.”

Cloud sat up sharply and indignantly, bare thighs straddling Reno’s lower abdomen, arms crossed. The sheet that had been draped up over him fell back, highlighting where the remainder of the light lent a glow to the peaks of his toned body. Reno watched him, amused, and folded his own arms up behind his head in faux nonchalance as he took in the view.

“What?” Reno drawled, still grinning. “Don’t gimme that look. I’m a real catch, wonder boy.”

Cloud unfolded his arms and leant forwards to take Reno’s waist in both hands. Suddenly the grin was gone, stolen from Reno’s face by the sudden memory that lurched to the forefront of that same sensation but in the tunnels underneath Sector 7. Cloud’s bare fingers against his skin, the gravity in the depth of those glimmering eyes, and the way he’d offered – no, all but _demanded_ to take care of Reno’s injuries.

The reaction Cloud got brought a smile to his face. He thumbed the warm flesh gently, sliding his thumbs further down with each hitch in Reno’s breath.

“Now who’s being cruel,” Reno breathed, his fingers involuntarily tightening into the pillow behind his head.

“Mhm,” Cloud murmured, leaning forwards to trail kisses down across Reno’s breastbone. “A little taste of your own medicine.”

This was too good. Reno shouldn’t have felt so content, but all those concerns that played in the back of his mind fled in the face of his sheer, unbridled joy. He didn’t want this to end. He wanted Cloud to gaze at him with those eyes until Reno had all but forgotten what colour they’d been before. If he thought he’d fallen for Cloud four years ago, it was nothing compared to the desperate resurgence of feelings he felt now. It was what had scared him the first time they’d slept together, sent him running from Cloud’s apartment with the scraps of his dignity bundled up under one arm. This time, it was his reason to stay.

“You’re staring again,” Cloud said softly, glancing up. “Is it my eyes?”

Reno nodded. Cloud regarded him for a long moment and leant forward to rest his chest against Reno’s, kissing him long and slow. Reno leant into it, unfurling his clenched fists from the pillow behind him and running them through the chaotic spikes of Cloud’s hair.

“Tell me what colour they were,” Cloud whispered, lips brushing the sharp edge of Reno’s jaw. “Please.”

Reno closed his eyes and nodded, body tensed as Cloud’s hand slid smoothly back against his torso and down between his thighs.

“Blue,” he breathed, sparks flashing behind his eyelids. “Ah – _fuck_. They were blue.”

“Will you miss them?”

“I’ll miss you more.”

It was unabashedly, unashamedly the truth, and Reno was in a mind to admit it.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Cloud’s mouth worked its way gently down the side of Reno’s neck. “Not tonight.”

Reno felt his breath snag in his throat. He’d heard that before.

_I’m not going anywhere. You’ll see._

He wondered if Cloud remembered saying that. That phrase had been a gateway to four years of subtle torment; a guilt that had never left and a stupid crush he’d never been able to shake. And what had he told Cloud in return?

“I’ll hold ya to that.” 

Cloud’s lips brushed his collar bones, his response making Reno all the more grateful that his eyes were closed so that Cloud couldn’t see how it brought a shine to them.

“It’s a promise.”

The night passed, little of which they spent sleeping. In the small hours of the morning, huddled beneath the sheets and utterly spent, Cloud had kissed him a final time and rolled away. Reno stared at him for a long while after that, the way the bluish shadows seemed to play across his muscled shoulders and the tips of his spiked hair. When Reno at last fell asleep, it was with Cloud’s arm entwined about his waist, and the feel of his lips against his neck.

XXX

Reno awoke sleepily to sunshine spilling in through the shoji screens. His body ached, but at least this time, it did so in a good way. The warmth of the bed was deceptive, however, because when Reno stretched out, fingers fumbling to find the shape of Cloud beneath the covers, all he discovered was an empty space. His stomach dropped and he sat up sharply, glancing around, blinking blearily as he took in the empty room.

Well. _That_ was a first.

Reno sat for a long moment, double checking. Cloud’s clothes were gone – in fact, the room had been tidied, too. _Loser_ , Reno thought affectionately, despite the dejection quickly settling itself into his bones. Cloud had bailed before Reno had even had the chance. He should have figured. Good things in Reno’s life rarely stuck around, and it was typically easier to leave them before they left you.

He debated on getting out of bed when the door slid back and he glanced up, surprised. There stood Cloud, dressed in nothing but a towel slung about his waist and neck, ruffling his still-damp hair with it, his clothes slung over one arm. He looked up and blushed to see Reno staring at him.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Reno echoed numbly.

Cloud wandered over and settled down next to him. Reno couldn’t tear his eyes away from the little beads of water that clung to Cloud’s skin and rolled away with each motion, leaving glinting trails down the length of his body. They only really served to draw further attention to the bruises blossoming across Cloud’s neck, and torso, and… well, everywhere, really. It sparked a small amount of pride in Reno, and briefly reminded him of the shamelessly appreciative noises Cloud had rewarded him with the night before for his trouble.

“Takes me back,” Reno said slowly, swiping a water droplet away from Cloud’s shoulder with one finger. “You remember?”

Cloud’s eyes widened. “I, uh… we…” he paused. “In the _shower_?”

Reno nodded. “Mhm. Your apartment. Hell of a first date.”

“Does this count as the second?”

Reno snorted. “Man, at least buy me a drink first.”

Cloud leant in and kissed him. It was soft, and nervous, and it reminded Reno of the kiss he’d given him on the balcony outside Cloud’s apartment. He’d mocked him for that one, once. This time he stayed blissfully silent.

“I’m… going to have to get ready,” Cloud said eventually. “We, uh, can’t stay.”

Reno nodded slowly. He knew this would happen.

It didn’t really make it hurt any less.

“Right.”

Cloud stood and started dressing, tugging on creased clothes from the night before. Reno leant back into the bed, watching him languidly as he went, knowing full well it was his last chance to admire the view. As he dressed, Cloud reached over to the side table and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled something down on it and came over to hand it to Reno.

Reno stared at it. It was Cloud’s phone number, followed by his name, followed by an X.

Two Xs.

“You know…” Cloud said awkwardly. “In case you wanted to do this again. Or – or even just to talk. Whatever.”

Cloud hovered a moment – obviously overwhelmed judging from the strained look on his face – and then turned and left. Reno watched him go, feeling suddenly, crushingly alone as the screen door slid shut behind him. He grabbed his phone and put the number in immediately, but just sat staring at it for a long while, thumb hovering over the call button. He couldn’t do it, and definitely not so quickly after Cloud had left. How pathetically desperate would he have looked?

The door slid back without warning and Reno glanced up, tossing his phone, and was only mildly disappointed to see Rude step inside.

“Yo, you look like shit.”

“Could say the same to you,” Rude hovered in the doorway, eyebrow raised. “You go a few rounds with a vampire last night?”

“Maybe I did. Where were ya?”

“Wasn’t about to interrupt. Slept next door with Elena, and let me tell you – that kid _snores_.”

Reno couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry, man. But it ain’t the first time you’ve wingmanned me. Should be used to it by now.”

Rude shrugged and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “So, you two–”

“Yup.” Reno grinned proudly.

“And he was–”

“ _Yup_.”

Rude sighed. “You’re a real handful, you know that?”

Reno winked at him from the bed. “That’s why ya love me.”

XXX

The final day of the Turks’ vacation in Wutai passed without trouble. Reno tried his best to enjoy it, despite feeling a little twitchy around Elena after their argument last night. If anything other than what had happened last night had transpired, then Reno’s thoughts might have been entirely occupied by the orders waiting for him when he returned to HQ. Back to Shinra and the harshness of reality. Except, every time his thoughts were free, they drifted back to the feel of Cloud against him, the subtle movements of his fingertips, the sharp taste of blood in his mouth. Even the little questions Reno still had – about what had happened at Nibelheim, and with Zack, and everything else that had separated them for four years – felt insignificant somehow. His interest in them had waned knowing now they might simply come with time.

Humiliatingly, all Reno wanted was to see Cloud again. And he used to have such _pride_ , too.

When the airship returned to collect them at sundown, Reno nabbed one of the couches in the main cabin and sprawled out, messing around with his phone in one hand, and the new note from Cloud in the other.

_Two Xs, huh?_ Reno thought, blushing. _Yeesh_. _What a loser._

Rude glanced up at him from where he was reading a book. “You gonna call him or what?”

“Get off my tits, Rude,” Reno called back calmly. “I’ll call him when I call him.”

Elena sighed from her seat next to Rude. “If you really like him, you should just phone.”

“Not you _too_. What is this, pick on Reno night?”

Rude shrugged. “She’s got a point.”

“Whatever,” Reno said defensively, and hit call.

They didn’t get it. They hadn’t sat with Cloud’s number in their pocket for four years, knowing that there’d be no answer even if he did phone. Maybe that’s why the mere idea of calling was so absurd to him. Was Cloud really going to just pick up? Just like that? And what if he did? What would he say? Reno wasn’t the type to blurt out his feelings. Would Cloud even _want_ to stick around with someone who’d had only enough pleasant social interactions in his life to count on one hand?

But he’d given Reno the number, after all.

Cloud picked up on the fourth ring.

_“Hey,”_ he said softly.

“Hey yourself.” Reno felt a flutter in his chest at Cloud’s voice and did his best to squash it.

_“You called,”_ Cloud said, as though the mere idea of Reno actually phoning had been entirely incomprehensible to him.

Reno tried to ignore Rude and Elena’s expectant stares. “No shit.”

_“You could make a habit of it.”_

Reno smiled.

_A night for firsts, then._

“Yeah,” he said softly, relieved. “I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to everyone who left kudos and commented on this fic! it was a lot of fun to write. it's also probably the longest thing i've ever written, which was a challenge in itself. for now i'm leaving the story here, but keep an eye out, because i might post a little epilogue thing if you guys want more :) thanks again for reading!


	14. End (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Would I, could I, make you happy?” – The End of the World, Billie Eilish.

“ _Tifa_!” Yuffie said pointedly, waggling a reprimanding finger in the air. “You _said_. Come on! It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Cloud watched from afar as Tifa wavered in the doorway. Yuffie was leant against Tifa’s vanity, her arms laced in strings of pearls and swathes of different coloured clothes. Tifa sighed heavily and shot Cloud an imploring look where he sat behind his office desk, scribbling down notes for his latest delivery to Kalm. He raised an eyebrow at her, shook his head, and pretended to be entirely too engrossed in his work to intervene.

“I just don’t know,” Tifa dithered. “Barret didn’t think that he’d be home tonight, and I promised Marlene I’d cook her favourite–”

“I’ll cook,” Cloud said, without looking up. “This delivery can wait until tomorrow.”

“You can _cook?”_ Yuffie said incredulously.

Cloud ignored her. “Go and have fun. You deserve a night off.”

“But the bar–”

“Tifa.” Cloud couldn’t keep the amusement from his tone. “I’ll take care of it.”

Tifa stared at Cloud for a long beat before she sighed and nodded. “Alright, well… I guess that settles it, then. If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“ _Yes_!” Yuffie pumped her fist in the air. “Now, come and sit. Oh, this is going to be so _good!”_

Tifa plonked herself down on the chair in front of the vanity and Cloud at last looked up, deeming it safe that he wouldn’t get dragged into the conversation against his will now that Yuffie was otherwise engaged. It was amazing how fast Yuffie worked. She had two states known to Cloud: hyped up on enough coffee to kill a creature twice her size, or so deeply asleep not even a stampede of runaway chocobos could wake her. She flitted about Tifa like some tiny, formidable insect, armed with a mascara brush in one hand and lipstick in the other. Her only pause was to utter: “Hair!” with such anguish Cloud wondered if she might be about to cut it off, but instead, began to work at braiding it back from Tifa’s face. And Tifa simply sat there, overwhelmed, the faintest blush gracing her cheeks. Cloud knew she was secretly adoring the attention, but would never admit it in front of either of them.

After over an hour, Yuffie stepped back and clapped her hands. “Ta-da! You look magnificent, if I do say so myself.”

Tifa leant forward and studied herself in the vanity; the rich, smoky darkness of her eyes, the fearsome red of her lips, the silver shimmer that graced the highs of her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Cloud nodded to Yuffie, impressed, and she grinned.

“I feel… pretty,” Tifa murmured, blushing.

“That’s ‘cause you _are_ pretty, dummy!” Yuffie chirped. “Now: _clothes_. What were you thinking of wearing?”

“I don’t know, I… I haven’t had the chance to get something nice in while. Can’t I just wear this?”

Tifa gestured to her black leather shirt and skirt and Yuffie made a comedic retching noise in the back of her throat.

“Uh, _no_ , you can’t wear that. Let me see if I’ve got something that’ll fit.”

Yuffie dug around in the pile of clothes she’d dumped on the bed. Tifa shot Cloud a nervous look through the doorway and Cloud offered her what he hoped was a reassuring thumbs-up.

“A-ha!”

Yuffie pulled out a short black dress with a plunge V-neck and sheer lantern sleeves out of the pile. She passed it to Tifa, who regarded it curiously, and then quickly closed the door to change. Cloud looked up as the door reopened, and there stood Tifa, blushing furiously in this slinky dress that barely reached her upper thigh and clung generously to the curves of her body.

“This is too much,” Tifa said immediately, to which both Cloud and Yuffie shook their heads.

“Don’t be silly,” Yuffie said, patting Tifa on the shoulder. “You look incredible! Doesn’t she, Cloud?”

Cloud blushed. “Uh, yeah. You look great.”

Tifa rolled her eyes. “Right. Well, if I’m going out in this get-up, then what are _you_ wearing?”

“This!”

Yuffie pulled out a scarlet cocktail dress and waggled it in front of Tifa. It wasn’t long before Yuffie was ready to go too, having done her hair and makeup well before she’d arrived. They tumbled out into the hallway and Yuffie waved at Cloud as she dragged Tifa towards the stairs.

“Bye, Cloud! See ya later!”

“We’ll be home by midnight!” Tifa called.

“ _Tifa_!” Yuffie chastised. “We absolutely _won’t_ be back before midnight, Cloud – so don’t wait up!”

Cloud smiled and shook his head as the pair of them disappeared down the stairs and out of Seventh Heaven. Now that he had the place to himself it seemed too quiet. Marlene and Denzel were asleep next door after Tifa had taken them out that afternoon, and they weren’t likely to wake for a little while just yet – at least, they usually didn’t stir until they could smell dinner. Night was fast approaching. Cloud knew he should head down and open up for the evening customers, but despite offering his services to Tifa for tonight, he didn’t much feel like doing it alone.

_“Yo.”_ Reno answered on the second ring. _“You good?”_

“Hey.” Cloud hesitated for a beat, biting his lip. “Are you in town?”

_“Ooh, this is sounding like a booty call if I ever heard one.”_

“Reno.”

_“Kidding, kidding. Yeah, I’m in Edge. You wanting company?”_

“Tifa’s out with Yuffie tonight.”

_“Oh, so you’re front-of-house-ing. Go figures. You just want an extra set of hands, that it?”_

“Only if you’re free.”

Reno’s tone softened. _“Yeah. I got time.”_

Cloud hung up and headed downstairs, slipping in behind the bar and sorting out the evening’s menu. Tifa had left a stock list for him so it didn’t take long, and by the time he’d put on Denzel and Marlene’s dinner and opened the front doors, Reno had arrived.

Somehow, despite not dressed in the usual Turk look, Reno looked _more_ formal than usual. He strode in, one hand in the pocket of his black suit pants, the other straightening its matching jacket. A black shirt, tie, and ribbon tying back his hair completed the all-black look. Cloud raised an eyebrow as Reno grinned and slunk over to sit down in front of him at the bar.

“What are you wearing?” Cloud asked, idly buffing a glass between his hand and a cloth.

Reno preened. “Why? Ya like it?”

“A _tie_?”

Reno shrugged. “Okay, that part wasn’t me.”

“You look like you just ran out on a funeral.”

“Might as well’ve. Rufus had us at some function for a buncha bigwigs, so…” Reno pointed conclusively at the tie. “What’s up? Where’re the brats?”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “If you mean Marlene and Denzel, then–”

The clatter of little feet on the stairs interrupted Cloud mid-sentence and announced the arrival of the kids. Marlene bounced up to Reno’s bartstool and threw her arms around his waist. Denzel hung back, jumping up onto a stool a few down from him.

“Reno!” Marlene said, squeezing him as best she could with her tiny hands. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

“Hey, squirt,” Reno said, ruffling her hair as she let go. “Long time no see.”

“Hmph,” Denzel said loudly and obnoxiously, turning away from Reno to lean over the bar at Cloud. “What’s _he_ doing here?”

Cloud smiled and made about fixing a drink for Reno in the glass he’d just cleaned. “Don’t worry, Denzel, Reno’s just here to help while Tifa’s away with Yuffie tonight.”

Denzel harrumphed again and turned around, slid off the barstool, and hopped away up the stairs again. Reno patted Marlene’s head a final time as she chased after him and then jerked a thumb in the direction they’d both left.

“What’s up with squirt number two?”

Cloud couldn’t keep the amusement from his tone. “He doesn’t think you’re good enough for me.”

“Huh.” Reno accepted the drink that Cloud handed him. “Yeah, well, he’s right.”

Cloud felt a little flutter in his chest and leant forwards on the bar with his forearms, snaking his fingers around the end of Reno’s tie and pulling him forwards by it. Reno smiled against Cloud’s mouth, kissing him back slow and shamelessly, clutching his drink in one hand and letting the other slide up against his jaw and into the short hair at the nape of his neck. When they broke apart, Cloud felt a little lightheaded, his lips numb and warm from Reno’s kiss.

“See,” Reno said, tugging his tie pointedly out of Cloud’s grip. “ _This_ is why I don’t wear this shit.”

“I don’t know,” Cloud murmured, smiling, “I kind of like it.”

“Well, as much as I’d like to sit here and make the face off ya across the bar, somehow, I think the brats’ll be mad if you burn their dinner.”

“Shit!”

Cloud whipped around to tend to the bubbling, hissing pot behind him on the stove. Reno chuckled and slid off the barstool, knocking back the last of his drink and stepping behind the bar. Cloud kept track of him in his peripherals as Reno wandered over and slipped his arms about Cloud’s waist from behind.

“So am I getting paid for this, or what?”

Cloud chuckled. “Depends on how good a job you do.”

“I skipped Rufus’s booze-up for a _maybe_?”

Reno’s gossamer kisses at Cloud’s neck sent gooseflesh prickling across his skin. Cloud felt his grip on the spoon he was holding tighten instinctively as Reno’s hands at his waist slipped down towards his belt buckle.

“Later,” Cloud breathed. “We got work to do.”

“Mmm,” Reno said, leaving a final kiss on the back of Cloud’s neck before stepping away. “So ya said.”

The evening passed without trouble, much to Cloud’s surprise. He wasn’t experienced behind the bar, but it was a quiet night, and since most folks knew both Reno and Cloud in Edge, not even the drunkest patrons were much interested in causing a fuss. Denzel and Marlene, full of food and as a result sleepy again, stayed up as long as they could, but eventually headed back upstairs around ten, Denzel shooting Reno judgemental glares as he went. As it reached midnight Cloud and Reno closed up. The chairs were stacked atop the tables, the bar was mopped clean, and the dishes were rinsed and put away.

“Not bad,” Cloud said as he locked the front doors. “Tifa should hire you part-time.”

“She couldn’t pay me enough to do that crap every night.” Reno hopped up onto the bar and sat back, kicking his heels against the marble fronting. “I’m _beat_. Ya got anything to drink? Or will Tifa hunt me down and kick the shit outta me just for asking?”

“She likes you, really,” Cloud said, stepping behind the bar and making up a couple of shots. “She’s a bit like Denzel. They’re just being careful.”

“Yeah. Once a Turk, I guess.”

Cloud stepped out from behind the bar again and handed Reno a glass. They both downed the shot, the glasses making a pleasant clinking noise as they hit the countertop. Cloud wandered forwards and positioned himself in front of Reno, leaning forward to plant his arms either side of his waist against the bar.

Reno smiled languidly. “Now, see _this_ is more my style.”

Cloud felt a flush rise to his cheeks. “Yeah, well… you did good.”

“That right?”

“Mhm.”

Cloud leant into the kiss, bracing his hands against the countertop as Reno leant forwards and hooked his fingers under Cloud’s belt, pulling him closer with a series of eager little tugs. The vodka on their lips burned. Reno’s knees came in either side to tighten around Cloud’s waist. When they broke apart, breathless and heady, Cloud leant up only to snatch up one of Reno’s hands in his and tug him off of the bar. Reno obliged. At the top of the stairs, Reno paused, lingering in the doorway to Tifa’s room.

“Man, I thought this was your room. What happened? Get into a fight?”

Cloud shrugged. “No, we just swapped. I didn’t need the space. She’s got more things than I do, anyway.”

“Rough deal.”

Reno tiptoed over the threshold and shot Cloud a roguish wink when he saw the concerned look on his face.

“Chill out, I’m just being nosy.”

“I don’t think that–”

“Oh, now _this_ –” Reno said, interrupting him as he snatched up the red lipstick Yuffie had left on the vanity “–is your colour.”

Cloud faltered. “What?”

“Come on. I know you did drag for Corneo. Did ya wear something like this?”

Reno waved the lipstick and Cloud blushed furiously, avoiding Reno’s gaze.

“I… uh, no, it was… pink. Coral.”

“He remembers the _shade_!” Reno teased, and Cloud’s blush deepened. “Ya got me there. Must’ve been fun.”

“I did it to help Tifa,” Cloud reminded Reno quickly. “They wouldn’t let me in otherwise.”

“Oh, I know. It was the Trio’s job to get the girls looking good, but they usually cried most of the makeup off by the time the night was through. That’s where I came in.”

Reno wandered over to stand in front of Cloud and waggled the lipstick in front of him. Cloud eyed it warily, leaning on the doorframe with one arm.

“How’d Yuffie do Tifa? Cat liner? Cut crease? Smoky eye?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

Reno rolled his eyes. “Come on, man, gimme _something_ to work with.”

“I…” Cloud sighed. “That lipstick you’re holding, black eyeshadow… I don’t know. Is that what you mean?”

Reno raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. “Would ya let me do your makeup?”

Cloud choked, entirely unprepared for the question. “ _Why_?”

“’Cause it’ll be fun.” Reno ran his tongue over his upper lip and looked Cloud up and down. “Besides, I thought I was getting paid. Consider this payment.”

“I don’t know,” Cloud said, uncertain. “I mean, I don’t mind, but…”

“If ya do, I’ll do that thing you like later where I–”

“Deal.”

Reno plonked Cloud down on the chair in front of Tifa’s vanity and loosened his tie. Cloud eyed him curiously as Reno picked through the makeup Yuffie had left behind, tutting under his breath.

“Not very adventurous, is she?” he muttered.

Reno grabbed a small bottle that looked like it might be foundation and turned it over in his hands. It roughly matched Cloud’s skin tone; Cloud knew that much, but what it was exactly, he had no idea.

“Doesn’t matter,” Reno continued under his breath. “We’ll start with this.”

Reno turned back to Cloud and hooked one leg over his lap, slipping smoothly over his waist to straddle him. Cloud instinctively grabbed Reno’s thighs and held on in case he lost his balance and fell backwards.

“Good boy,” Reno murmured, smirking. “Now, hold still.”

Cloud did as bid, Reno leaning forward to apply the bottle’s content with a fresh brush. Cloud’s eyes never left Reno’s, and Reno kept glancing over and grinning. No doubt he was aware of how tightly they were pressed together, Cloud trying desperately to control the rising heat in the lower half of his body without making it too obvious how much of an affect Reno was having on him. When he fidgeted, Reno reached for another tool and raised an eyebrow.

“Nuh-uh,” he murmured. “Not done yet.”

“ _Reno_ ,” Cloud said, embarrassed to hear his partner’s name come out a little breathier than he’d intended it to. “Is this _really_ –”

“Easy now, loverboy. I’ll be done soon enough. Ain’t anybody told ya good things come with time?”

Cloud sighed. “I…. guess they do."

_After all_ , Cloud thought, gazing up into Reno's eyes as memories of the last few years flickered through his mind, _how else would I have got you?_

Reno must have read something in the sincerity of Cloud's expression because he grabbed Cloud’s chin sharply in one hand and kissed him hard, nipping at his lower lip with his teeth. Cloud, caught off-guard, let himself be led, desire spiking at the merest hint of something rougher to follow – that was, until Reno pulled away and looked at sternly him with those intense green eyes.

“Now zip it, would ya? You’re in good hands.”

Cloud sighed in defeat. “I know.”

They sat in silence a while, Reno dipping for a kiss in every time Cloud got twitchy to keep him on his toes. Cloud wasn’t sure how long they sat there like that, but it was nice, and he hadn’t felt so content in a while. The strokes of the brush against his face and the intermittent kisses were somewhat soothing and his mind drifted, onto the Honeybee Inn, Andrea, and the night at Corneo’s mansion.

“Do you ever think about him?” Cloud murmured absently; eyes closed as Reno applied some sort of powder to his lids. “Corneo?”

“Nah.” Cloud felt Reno shake his head. “Not really. Not since Wutai.”

“What about your mother?”

The brush sweeping across his eyelids slowed for just a moment. “Uh, yeah, I mean… sometimes. It’s not like I ever forgot about her, ya know?”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause. Cloud wondered if he’d maybe asked the wrong thing and risked a peak at Reno’s expression. It earned him a swat with a makeup brush and a discontented wiggle of Reno’s hips across his. Cloud closed his eyes again and nodded his apology, trying to ignore the way Reno’s movements had reignited the burning between his thighs. After a beat, Reno began to talk, almost as if to himself, a quiet mutter under his breath that only Cloud was close enough to hear.

“She’d do my makeup, sometimes. She had this big vanity in her room for doin’ her face before a show. Y’know, the kind with all the big fluorescent bulbs and shit ‘round the frame? Man, I’d sit and watch her for hours. Was how I got so good at it. I begged her to put some on me, ‘cause I was like that, ya know? And she did it, ‘cause she was my ma. She always left it in a state, so I’d put everything away for her comin’ home. 4am, 5am – later and later, the more that things broke around the house. The hot water pipe, the heating… something was always fucked. Funny how kids think that doing some chores is the most they can do for their ma. If I’d known what Corneo had offered her to stay with him, I woulda left home long before she got the chance. _Open_.”

Cloud opened his eyes. Reno stared at him, almost nose to nose, and nodded. “They’re good. Kinda. I’m outta practise. You think Yuffie’s got any glitter in here?”

“Glitter?” Cloud echoed nervously.

Reno ignored him and reached over to rummage around on the vanity. Cloud watched him, wishing, not for the hundredth time, that Reno would just stay. Here. With him. But Reno was Reno. He was a chatterbox, and irresponsible, and quick to start a fight. He liked to pretend to be independent, even though they both knew he relied on Cloud and Rude for almost everything. But it was rare he talked so openly about his mother, even with Cloud. Most people got the abridged version of Reno’s upbringing, the one where he skipped the parts that made him sound like he cared. Because he cared so much more than he let on. And it made Cloud’s heart ache that Reno shared that part of his life with him, however briefly, knowing how much it pained him to do so.

“This’ll do.” Reno plucked a small, black pot out of the collection of cosmetics and turned back to Cloud. “Close.”

Cloud did as he was told, feeling the immediate sweep of something cool and slightly viscous across his skin. He wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to ask what songs Reno’s mother had sang, what she’d sounded like, anything at all Reno could remember. He wanted to know about _Reno_. How he’d been raised. How he lived. The worst things he’d had to do, alleviate some of that lingering guilt. Their pursuit of Sephiroth across Gaia hadn’t given them much time to talk asides from a few late-night phone calls, and even then, they’d not divulged much for fear of scaring one another away. But Cloud didn’t know how to say any of this. How could he? So he just sat there, his grip tightening around Reno imperceptibly harder.

“She had this dress,” Reno continued, voice so low Cloud almost missed it at first. “It was red, like our hair. Ha. Who does that? Do women _do_ that? Match their dress to their hair?” He paused to chuckle. “She wore it out a few times to the bar – special occasions, I dunno. I used to watch the way, when the light caught it, it threw all these sparkles everywhere, like a reject disco ball. How weird is that? I used to try it on when she was out. Didn’t fit me, obviously, I was just a kid, but I thought I was such hot shit.”

“I bet you were,” Cloud murmured appreciatively. “You look good in everything. Or nothing.”

Reno laughed. “Throw me all the compliments ya want, loverboy – I ain’t done yet.”

So _this_ was why Reno had wanted to do his makeup so badly. Share a little bit of his life with Cloud, that sensitive part that he rarely let anyone but Rude see. God, it made Cloud want him even more. He suddenly found a whole new appreciation for makeup, which he’d previously written off as only being good for fooling nasty old crime lords into letting you into their homes so that you could beat them up. Cloud was practical like that. He didn’t realise his approach to things was so matter-of-fact, until Tifa had lectured him about not having spare blankets in his cupboard when it got cold last winter.

Cloud, so occupied by his own thoughts, was surprised when Reno at last slid off of his lap to let him see his reflection in the vanity.

“Tell me why I wanna fuck you even _more_ wearin’ makeup. Ugh.” Reno groaned approvingly at his own handiwork. “Anyway, whaddaya think?”

Cloud stared. It had been over two years since he’d infiltrated Don Corneo’s mansion in Wall Market, but he remembered Andrea had done him up in a rich blue gown and – at his own insistence – had gone light on the makeup. Coral pink lipstick, blush, minimal eyeshadow and mascara. Reno had done the opposite. He’d left the lightest makeup for Cloud’s skin, just the faintest hint of concealer, foundation, anything to cover up old marks and scars. Cloud’s eyes he’d done in black and silver; asymmetrical and avant-garde, chaotic streaks of wet-look black shadow and sprinklings of silver flashes throughout. Heavy on the liner; it came out almost to the sides of his head and sharp as the edge of the Fusion Sword. The lipstick Yuffie had used for Tifa, Reno had used for Cloud. It was blood red and pristinely applied.

Cloud took a minute to find his voice. He thought he’d hate it. But actually… it felt like war paint. Fierce. The dark colour around his eyes especially drew his focus, pulling it to where the Mako glimmered in shadowed depths.

“I…” Cloud tried to think of how best to compliment the outcome, but failed. “I like it.”

“Really?”

“Really. I’d fuck me.”

“Same.”

Reno winked and leant down, cupping Cloud’s face in one hand and kissing him keenly. Cloud kissed back, hand snaking up to anchor itself on Reno’s tie again, until Reno swatted it away. They broke apart, Reno’s lips smeared crimson. He studied Cloud, cocking his head to one side, and nodded.

“Huh. It looks better that way. Messy suits ya.”

“But…” Cloud pointed at Reno’s face. “I got red on you.”

“That ya did. Now where’ve I heard that one before?”

Cloud smiled and obliged as Reno tugged him to his feet. They wandered out into the shadows of the hallway and down the corridor to Cloud’s room, only stopping when Cloud checked in on Marlene and Denzel. He cracked open the door and peered in as quietly as he could. They were sound asleep, curled up under the covers of their beds, tiny bodies rising and falling as they breathed. Reno poked his head over Cloud’s shoulder.

“How much time we got?” Reno whispered.

Cloud shrugged. “The kids’ll sleep until morning, but Tifa and Yuffie should be back well before then.”

“Then what’re we waitin’ for?”

Cloud’s room was undoubtedly smaller than the last one he’d occupied, but he liked it a lot more. He’d amassed very few precious possessions since Meteorfall. Most of his treasures came in the form of various weaponry, or the bonds he’d made alongside the people who’d fought against the destruction of the planet he called home. He didn’t like to keep unnecessary items, although he knew how much Tifa liked her trinkets – Cid, too, not that he would ever admit it. He didn’t give presents, really, unless it was a special occasion. That had been Aerith’s thing. No, Cloud much preferred to express how he felt through action. If his mind couldn’t wrap itself around how to say something with care, then he would simply do his best to show it instead. And Reno understood. They were similar in that regard, much more comfortable to let their decisions do the talking for them.

“I could, like, buy ya some houseplants or some shit,” Reno murmured between kisses. “It’s depressing as fuck in here, not gonna lie.”

They were sat on top of Cloud’s bed, the only thing he’d really splurged on. The rest of the room was bare apart from an old wardrobe and a rack of hooks for mounting spare weaponry. Even the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling was shade-less.

Cloud shrugged. “Not really my style.”

“Well, next time, let’s fuck at my place.”

“Your place is…” Cloud trailed off, hesitant.

Reno raised an eyebrow. “I can, like, tidy it, or whatever.”

Cloud chuckled and slid his hands up to undo Reno’s tie. “Tidying? I didn’t know you did that.”

“ _Asshole_.”

Cloud’s back hit the sheets as a sharp push from Reno sent him backwards onto the bed. Reno sat up on his knees and pulled off his jacket and tie. He was about to undo his shirt buttons too when Cloud’s hands stopped him.

“Let me,” he asked softly.

“Don’t gimme those puppy dog eyes,” Reno murmured, leaning forwards to kiss him. “Ya know I can’t resist ‘em.”

Cloud was gentle. He was _always_ gentle with Reno. Reno had told him how much he loved it, once – how much it made him feel like he was worth something, so Cloud had made sure that he never stopped. 

When they’d got down to little else than underwear, Cloud ran his fingers up the bare skin of Reno’s left arm where he was poised over him, and only stopped when his fingers snagged on the little pink ribbon tied there that matched Cloud's own.

They’d both lost people. People they loved. They’d never known their other parent, and their mothers had died before they’d even got the chance to ask. But ever since they’d reunited, they’d looked out for one another. Silently, of course, but they were there. Pulling each other out of trouble, keeping each other safe, long before anything had been admitted to that effect. When Cloud had been in danger of getting killed by Shinra, it was Reno who’d bailed him out. When Cloud had almost lost his mind to Sephiroth’s influences – Reno was there again. At Tifa’s call he’d had broken orders and was by his side, the last two people Cloud had left of the world he’d known before Nibelheim.

Never out loud had either of them uttered the word ‘love’. They probably never would. But they were each, in their own way, telling the other that they loved them.

And Cloud, in all of his inadequate communication skills, was satisfied with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, for real this time, i promise im finishing this here. i really wanted to round off their story with a little domestic fluff, and it was fun to play around with the relationship that i'd established between them, now post-meteor. thanks again to everyone who's read, commented, and left kudos. this one's for you <3


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